Managing IP is delighted to announce the publication of the IP STARS 2020 rankings of the leading UK and US law firms for IP transactions work. The growth of the knowledge economy has led to an increasing awareness that IP is 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.
Jurisdictions covered
Currently, our firm rankings for IP transactions are only available in the United States (see here) and the United Kingdom (England here and Scotland here). Click on a ranked firm's name to see the practitioner(s) ranked for IP transactions work. We also have practitioners in other jurisdictions who are ranked for this work.
All 2020 rankings are now available
This is the last firm rankings table for the 2020 edition of IP STARS. All the firm and individual practitioner rankings for this year are now available on this website (use the regional drop-down menu to see all the rankings or use the search bar to find a firm or practitioner).
Read a summary of what we published this year here.
Congratulations to all the firms and individuals ranked this year.
Research methodology
The methodology for the IP transactions rankings is the same as the other rankings we have. A key factor we consider is whether the firm has an experienced team of lawyers for this work, including at least one senior IP transactional lawyer who is highly regarded in the market.
Our research analysts produced this year’s rankings using the data obtained during the research period for the 2020 edition of IP STARS (September 2019 to January 2020), but where appropriate they took account of subsequent developments.
They evaluated all the relevant law firms and their IP-related transactions work, especially legal advice on licensing and sale of IP rights. The IP advice/work can be standalone or part of corporate transactions such as mergers and acquisitions and restructuring.
We consider work in all sectors for this practice area, bearing in mind that value and business activities vary from sector to sector. However, it is noteworthy that the vast majority of the law firms have considerable expertise in the life sciences and high technology sectors. Our copyright and related rights table features some of the law firms with specialist lawyers for the creative sectors. Readers interested in the leading law firms for financial and corporate transactional work should visit IFLR1000.
Our rankings are subject to change each year. Research is underway for the 2021 edition of the IP STARS rankings (see here).
Please send your feedback or questions concerning our rankings to our general email address.
About IP STARS
IP STARS is the leading specialist guide to IP law firms and practitioners worldwide. The guide is an exclusive rankings publication: we do not rank all firms and individuals offering IP services.
Managing IP published its first legal directory in 1994 and rebranded it as IP STARS in 2013. The research for the guide covers a variety of IP practice areas and more than 70 jurisdictions, making it the most comprehensive and widely respected rankings publication in the IP industry. The IP STARS rankings are based on a weighted evaluation of information from different sources, including work data submitted by firms, independent research findings, and market feedback. Learn more about our methodology here.