The official deadline for firm submissions for the 2025 edition was October 31, 2024.* We are now reviewing submissions and conducting research. All the referees submitted on time have been contacted.
We are no longer accepting submissions. If you did not submit for the 2025 edition and are interested, please start preparing to submit for the 2026 edition on September 1, 2025. Read about how to participate in our research here. If you have questions, please get in touch with our research team.
Research timeline
August: We send out an email to firms with details on how to participate in the research for the next edition
September 1: We start accepting firm submissions, conducting independent research and scheduling market interviews
October 31: Firm questionnaire and client referee submission deadline*
October - December: Research interviews and submissions review
December - March: Awards and rankings research; client referee feedback and practitioner survey**
April: Rankings research and analysis
May: Rising Stars survey***
June: Rankings research and analysis
July: End of the research for the current year's edition
* Any deadline that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is automatically extended to Monday. Any official extension will be communicated via email.
** We can contact referees at any time between December and March, and we'll first process documents submitted on time, i.e. between September 1 and October 31. Our emails are sent from our general research email address (see here) or the email address of one of our editors. Our first practitioner survey is for the senior IP practitioners, especially the IP Stars. Any IP partner can complete our IP Practitioner Survey.
***We launch our Rising Stars survey after we have closed the senior IP practitioner survey. Any IP practitioner who can meet the criteria for the Rising Stars list can participate in the survey.
Results publication schedule
Managing IP Awards 2025
April: EMEA Awards ceremony, see here
May: Americas Awards ceremony, see here
September: Asia-Pacific Awards ceremony
IP STARS 2025 rankings
The firm and practitioner rankings are published on this website. Please use the regional drop-down menu to see the jurisdictions we cover and their latest rankings.
May 30: Firm rankings for trade mark work (including US states such as California)
May 30: Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP list
May 30: Practitioner rankings, e.g. Patent Star, Trade Mark Star, etc
June 30: Firm rankings for general intellectual property work (only for jurisdictions without practice area rankings); firm rankings for patent work, including US states such as California; firm rankings for ITC litigation and Life Sciences IP work
July 31: Firm rankings for IP transactions work
July 31: Firm rankings for copyright work
September 30: Managing IP's Rising Stars List here and Corporate IP Stars List here
Please note that the publication date for the next edition may change.
Follow our announcements
We will update this article when we have updates concerning our research and results publication. 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.
Our marketing/business development team will contact all the firms and practitioners recognised this year. If you have any feedback or questions about our research, please contact us here.
About IP STARS rankings
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.
About the Managing IP Awards
The Managing IP Awards programme is the most comprehensive and widely respected IP law firm awards event in the legal industry. Launched in 2006, the ceremonies for the awards attract hundreds of guests, including in-house counsel and prominent public officials in the IP industry. The programme covers several IP practice areas and more than 50 jurisdictions. Read about the awards here or here.
Research methodology
The research for our rankings and awards is 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. Learn more about our methodology here.
If you have questions or feedback about our rankings or awards, please contact our research team.