Welcome to the 2020 edition of IP STARS.
For this month, we have published more than 60 new firm rankings (read more here) and the practitioner rankings for 2020 (the IP Stars).
We have not yet revealed Managing IP's Top 250 Women in IP, Corporate Stars and Rising Stars lists for 2020. For example, the 2020 Rising Stars list will be released later this year. Below you will find important information about the practitioner rankings, our new practitioner data policy, and forthcoming rankings.
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.
The practitioner rankings
We choose the individuals to rank as IP Stars based on all the available information we have about them. IP Stars are individuals in private practice; nearly all of them hold the position of partner or equivalent in their firms. The individuals featured in the Rising Stars and Top 250 Women in IP publication are also in private practice, whereas the Corporate Stars list features in-house practitioners.
After selecting the IP Stars, we then proceed to assign at least one rating (e.g. Trade Mark Star) and practice area (e.g. trade mark prosecution) to reflect what we reasonably believe to be their main area(s) of IP practice. Of course, like with our firm rankings, an individual may have experience in other areas of IP practice.
Readers should also note that we do not publish an IP Stars list for all jurisdictions, and individuals that are not currently ranked can also be found on our website. Read more about our practitioner rankings here.
New policy on practice data
Because of the growth of our research and market feedback, we have decided to reduce the amount of information we publish about ranked practitioners.
Ranked practitioners will now only have at least one rating and one practice area. We will no longer voluntarily publish sector expertise. In the coming months, we’ll start phasing out the existing sector data for individuals without profiles. We'll also work towards ensuring that a ranked practitioner has at least one practice area.
In the meantime, just like firms, any ranked practitioner is entitled to publish a profile showing more practice areas and sector expertise (see sample here). We may, however, restrict the number of practice areas and/or sectors displayed on the filters. An unranked practitioner can also publish his or her practice profile on our website or in the IP STARS Handbook.
We regularly monitor firms and individuals, and their rankings are subject to change each year. Please contact us if you have any feedback or questions about any ranking information we have published.
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 and individuals.
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.