Welcome to the 2022 edition of IP STARS and Managing IP Awards programme.
We have started publishing our research results for this year and are no longer accepting submissions for the 2022 edition.
Learn about our research and how to participate in the 2023 edition here.
Below is a snapshot of what to expect this year. Please note that the dates may change.
Managing IP Awards 2022
The Managing IP Awards shortlists and winners are published on managingip.com. Follow our announcements here.
February 14: Americas Awards shortlist announcement (winners announcement date: April 7)
April 6: Asia-Pacific Awards shortlist announcement (winners announcement date: June 1)
April 27: EMEA Awards shortlist announcement (winners announcement date: June 15)
IP STARS 2022 rankings
Managing IP's firm and practitioner rankings are published on this website; use the regional drop-down menu to see the jurisdictions we cover and their latest rankings.
March: Trade mark practice rankings for firms (including US states such as California) - read about them here
April: Intellectual property rankings for firms (only available in jurisdictions without trade mark or patent rankings) - read about them here
May: IP Stars list - read about it here
May: Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP list here
June: Patent practice rankings for firms (including US states such as California) - read about them here
July: IP transactions practice rankings for firms - read about them here
July: Copyright practice rankings for firms - read about them here
September: Managing IP's Rising Stars list (learn more here), Corporate IP Stars list (learn more here) and the Notable Practitioners in IP
September: Firm reviews updated or published (see details below)
As usual, the 2021 firm rankings for a practice area and the 2021 individual practitioner rankings will remain on this site until we publish the 2022 rankings. After our official announcement, we will change the year of rankings to say '2022'.
Firm editorials
Readers should note that any firm editorial (i.e. content under the 'Review' tab) found on this website is from the previous edition of IP STARS. We are working towards updating or publishing the editorials of some of the ranked firms (firms with profiles) in September. The editorials for other firms will be available at a later date. Firms can contact us if there is information we need to update or correct sooner rather than later.
Our marketing/business development team will contact the relevant ranked individuals directly in due course.
If you have any feedback or questions about IP STARS, please contact us at research@managingip.com
Russia and Ukraine
We are deeply saddened to see the destruction of lives and property in Ukraine and the displacement of millions of its people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine, including its IP community.
Managing IP has decided to suspend its research and publication of research content for Russia and Ukraine until further notice. We pray for peace and a swift end to the war.
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
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.
The prosecution ranking takes account of pre- and post-registration work, including office proceedings and portfolio management advice. The contentious ranking covers trade mark-related disputes (in and outside the courts) and anti-counterfeiting work.
We have more firm rankings, including for copyright and IP transactions work. 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, and Managing IP does not recommend or endorse any particular firm for IP work. Please read the terms of use concerning our content here. No firm can pay to be included or to influence the results.
Practitioner rankings
The individuals we normally select as IP Stars are senior practitioners who serve as partners or equivalent in their firms. We do not select non-partners or junior practitioners to be ranked as IP Stars, except in very special circumstances. After selecting the IP Stars, we assign at least one practice area rating, e.g. patent star, to reflect what we reasonably believe to be their main area(s) of expertise.
The 2022 IP Stars list is based on information available at the time the core research was completed (February 2022). Except for firm name changes, any subsequent developments or information that could influence this year’s IP Stars list will be considered during the research for the 2023 edition. Our research analysts regularly monitor firms and their practitioners throughout the year and, therefore, Managing IP reserves the right to change any ranking and/or remove a firm or individual from our website at any time.
For the avoidance of doubt, the ranking tag does not suggest or indicate that the expertise of the practitioner is limited to the practice area in question. Because many IP Stars will have experience in different areas of IP law and practice, we offer them the opportunity (for a fee) to publish detailed information about their practice. Managing IP does not recommend or endorse any practitioner 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.
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.