IP STARS 2020: New IP firm rankings revealed

Welcome to the 2020 edition of IP STARS.

Please read the information on this page carefully to find out what we have published and what to expect from us in the coming weeks and months.

In March, we revealed the 2020 rankings of the leading firms for trade mark filing/prosecution and contentious work in more than 50 jurisdictions (read more here).

For this month, we have published more than 60 new firm rankings. Appendix 1 shows the full list of the jurisdictions with the new firm rankings.  In summary, we now have trade mark rankings for eight US states and the general IP rankings covering different regions, including four new jurisdictions in the Americas.

We have also revealed our practitioner rankings for 2020 (excluding the Top 250 Women in IP, Corporate Stars and Rising Stars lists). See the publication timetable for the remaining lists below and read more about the 2020 IP Stars list publication here.

To view all the 2020 rankings we have published so far, please use the regional dropdown menu above or use the search bar to see if a firm or individual is currently ranked.

IP STARS is not a directory of all firms and individuals offering IP services. Participation in our research does not guarantee ranking. Below you will find a summary of our research, but you can learn more by visiting our methodology page. If you have any feedback or questions, please get in touch via email at research@managingip.com.

Congratulations to all the firms and individuals ranked this year.

More to come

This is the second set of ranking results from the research for the 2020 edition of IP STARS, which started in September 2019. We have more rankings and related content to publish (see the latest timetable below), and therefore we will continue with our independent research. Any research information not used for this year’s edition will be considered during the research for the 2021 edition.

May: Copyright firm rankings and Top 250 Women in IP (Trade Mark Handbook and US Handbook also available this month)
June: Patent firm rankings, special firm rankings for the US, Corporate Stars, and our editorial commentary on firms
July: Patent Handbook published
September 1: Launch of the 2021 edition research
October 31: Submission deadline for the research forms for the 2021 edition
November: Rising Stars list 2020 published
December: IP transactions firm rankings 2020 published

Please note that this timetable is subject to change.

Follow our announcements

We will publish an announcement on our news page after we have confirmed and updated our website with any 2020 edition content. All rankings that do not have the year ‘2020’ (e.g. the firm rankings for patent work and Rising Stars) and our editorials under the 'Review' tab are from the 2019 edition of IP STARS.

Our marketing/business development team will contact all the ranked firms and individuals in due course or before our official announcements. 

Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter (here) or keep an eye on our news page and social media channels (Twitter and LinkedIn) for updates. 

About IP STARS

IP STARS is the leading specialist guide to IP law firms and practitioners worldwide. Managing IP published its first legal directory in 1994 and rebranded it in 2013 as IP STARS. The research for IP STARS covers a variety of IP practice areas and more than 70 jurisdictions, making it the most comprehensive and widely respected guide in the IP profession.

Research methodology

IP STARS is an annual publication based on research primarily done over a six-month period, starting from September each year. However, our research analysts regularly monitor firms and individuals and can conduct research on them at any time in the year. Our rankings are based on a weighted review of information submitted by firms (research forms here), publicly available information, and market feedback.

Each year, Managing IP’s research analysts in London, New York and Hong Kong obtain information from thousands of firms, IP practitioners and their clients through interviews, emails and online surveys. Before compiling the rankings, our research analysts also conduct their own independent research, including an analysis of publicly available information (such as court or IP office data) and the existing data we hold on firms.

All our rankings are based on the information available at the time the research was completed. Except for firm name changes, any subsequent developments or information that can influence our ranking decisions will be considered during the research for the next edition. However, Managing IP reserves the right to remove a firm or individual from our website at any time. 

The research is conducted rigorously and impartially. There is no fee to pay to participate in the research. Individuals and firms can publish their own IP practice profile in the handbook and/or on our website for a fee, but this does not influence the rankings whatsoever. No firm or individual can pay to be ranked or to influence the results.

Furthermore, the rankings are not influenced by the Managing IP Awards programme, and vice versa. For the avoidance of doubt, our rankings do not suggest that the services or expertise of the ranked firms or individuals are limited to the practice area mentioned, and Managing IP does not endorse any particular firm or individual.

Appendix 1

Firm rankings published this month