Welcome to the 2022 edition of IP STARS.
Following the publication of our patent rankings in June, we are delighted to reveal the rankings of the leading law firms for intellectual property transactions work. Most of the law firms we recognised this year are often involved in high-value deals, many of which are driven by IP rights. They are widely regarded in the market as the best law firms for this type of intellectual property work.
The growth of the knowledge economy has led to an increasing awareness that IP is also a business asset to exploit and not just a legal right to enforce. We hope that our table will assist those looking for specialist commercial IP advice. Read more about the rankings below.
Congratulations to all the firms ranked this year.
Jurisdictions covered this year
We expanded our coverage this year by including two new jurisdictions in EMEA. See all of them below. Click on a jurisdiction to see all the 2022 firm rankings.
On the jurisdiction page, select ‘Practitioners’ to see all the ranked practitioners in that jurisdiction or click on a firm’s name to see its ranked practitioners.
Americas
Asia-Pacific
EMEA
What to expect next
We have now published all the firm rankings for the 2022 edition of IP STARS. The final set of rankings to expect are the Rising Stars list and Corporate IP Stars list, which will be published in September. Follow our rankings and research announcements here.
About IP STARS
Managing IP published its first legal directory in 1994 and rebranded it in 2013 as IP STARS. The IP STARS guide has expanded over the years and now covers over six IP practice areas and more than 70 jurisdictions, making it the most comprehensive, leading specialist rankings publication for the IP profession.
Research methodology
The research for these rankings was conducted rigorously and impartially by our team of research analysts in London, New York, and Hong Kong. Each year, we request information from thousands of firms, IP practitioners and their clients through interviews, email, and online surveys.
Firm rankings
Before compiling the rankings, our analysts also conducted their own independent research, including an analysis of publicly available information (such as court or IP office data) and existing data we have about firms and their practitioners. The aspects assessed for the firm rankings include expertise, workload, market reputation and record, outcomes achieved for clients, and unique strengths in each practice area. Judgements about which firms to include in the rankings, and which tier and practice area they should be in, take account of all this information.
Firms are ranked alphabetically in tiers, or as highly recommended or recommended. The total number of firms listed varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For most jurisdictions, the trade mark and patent rankings are split into prosecution and contentious work.
To be considered for the IP transactions ranking table, the firm must have an experienced team of IP practitioners and commercial lawyers. We evaluated all the relevant law firms and their transactions work, focusing on legal advice/work concerning the sale and licensing of IP rights. The work can be standalone or part of corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions and restructuring.
The IP transactions table takes account of all sectors. We are aware that value and business activities vary from sector to sector, and it is notable that most of the law firms have considerable expertise in sectors such as high technology and life sciences. Our copyright and related rights table also captures the law firms with specialist transactional lawyers for the creative industries. Read about our methodology and practice areas here.
The 2022 firm rankings are based on information available at the time the research was completed (February 2022). Except for firm name changes, any subsequent developments or information that could influence our rankings will be considered during the research for the 2023 edition of IP STARS, which starts in September 2022.
For the avoidance of doubt, the ranking tables do not suggest or indicate that the expertise or services of the listed firms are limited to the practice area in question. Managing IP does not recommend or endorse any firm for IP work. Please read the terms of use concerning our content here.
The IP STARS rankings are not influenced by any commercial relationship, including advertising, with Managing IP or IP STARS. There is no fee to pay to participate in our research. No firm can pay to be included or to influence the results.
IP STARS is not a directory of all firms and individuals offering IP services. There are firms and practitioners that we have not recognised even though we have research data about them. Participation in our research does not guarantee ranking. The rankings are subject to change each year.
Click here to learn more about our research.
Visit our sister publication IFLR1000 for an in-depth coverage of the law firms involved in a range of financial and corporate law work.