Welcome to the 2022 edition of IP STARS.
Please read the information on this page carefully to understand what we have published and what to expect from us in the coming weeks and months.
Following the release of our firm rankings for general IP work (see here), we are delighted to announce the publication of our firm rankings for patent work in more than 50 jurisdictions. Some of the rankings were first revealed in the summer edition of Managing IP's digital magazine.
To check if a firm has been ranked this year for patent work, enter the firm’s name in the search bar or use the regional navigation menu above to select the jurisdiction (click on 'Rankings' to see the 2022 firm rankings).
In France, Germany and the UK (England), we have a special rankings table that recognises patent attorneys for their litigation work. For the US, we have patent rankings for states such as California as well as national rankings, including PTAB litigation and Life Sciences IP - see the United States (National) page.
Congratulations to all the firms ranked this year.
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 – see here
May: Managing IP’s Top 250 Women in IP list – see here
June: Patent practice rankings for firms (including US states such as California)
July: IP transactions practice rankings for firms
July: Copyright practice rankings for firms
September: Rising Stars list (learn more here), Corporate IP Stars list (see here), and the Notable Practitioners in IP
Firm editorials
Readers should that any firm editorial (i.e. content under the 'Review' tab) found on this website is from the 2021 edition of IP STARS. We are working towards publishing the latest editorials for some of the ranked firms in August and September. Firms can contact us if there is information we need to update or correct sooner rather than later.
If you have any feedback or questions about IP STARS, please contact us at research@managingip.com
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 all related disputes and enforcement work in and outside the courts (please note that the contentious ranking does not include IP office disputes). 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.