Research for the 2018 edition of IP STARS, Managing IP’s legal directory, starts today. We highlight some of the things you need to know and why it is important for firms to participate by making a submission

It is that time of the year again. The research for the 2018 edition of IP STARS is now underway, starting with a global survey of firms. 

Why is it important for firms to participate each year?

The least we expect from firms each year is firm questionnaire and client referees submissions. Regardless of whether your firm is currently ranked or not, it is imperative to submit these each year because everything we publish is subject to change. We believe that annual participation demonstrates that your firm’s IP practice is credible and stable.

Furthermore, we may find information in your submission which may positively influence our decision when considering firms for the rankings, IP stars lists and awards.

Is there a fee to pay or cost to participate in your research?

None at all.

Are there any changes this year?

Similar to previous years, firms will notice some changes to this year’s firm questionnaire. The major change is that the Word template document of our online firm questionnaire can now be completed and uploaded to our portal on SurveyMonkey, leaving only very few questions to be completed online.

This new process is based on the feedback we received last year so we hope it makes firm participation a lot easier.
 

Where can those who wish to participate find the firm questionnaire and other essential information or document?

All our online questionnaires are hosted on SurveyMonkey. The links are published here. Please note that we have two separate firm questionnaires: one for firms based in the USA and the other for firms outside the USA. This is because we publish two editions of IP STARS Handbook: the US edition and the Global edition, covering the rest of the world.

In each firm questionnaire are guidance notes and the Word template document for the questionnaire and the client referees document which you need to complete and upload to the relevant questionnaire’s portal.
 

When is the deadline for the firm questionnaire?

The deadline to complete and submit your firm questionnaire and client referees is November 13 2017. See a summary of our main deadlines and publication schedule here. 
 

When do you start your interviews?

We will start scheduling interviews with firms from September 18 2017 but do feel free to get in touch requesting for an interview. We interview as many firms as possible and obtain a lot of data so we regret that not all firms will be interviewed. However, not getting an interview with us will not in any way influence our decision on your firm. 

We will start contacting client referees for feedback in November. 

When and where will you publish the 2018 firm rankings and other results?

The main results of our research for the firm rankings will be published in Managing IP magazine between February and April. The award winners are announced in March. We publish three IP STARS Handbooks: the US and trade mark/copyright editions in May and the patent edition in July.

The IP stars lists, including the Top 250 Women in IP, are revealed in May. See our publication schedule here.
 

What about the individual practitioner survey?

The individual practitioner survey opens on November 21 2017. We will invite current IP stars and selected practitioners to participate. The survey closes on January 31 2018. See all our deadlines here.

We will provide more information about the individual practitioner survey in due course.
 

Can you briefly explain the research process?

Our methodology for the firm rankings, IP stars lists and awards is based on a weighted system of peer and client feedback, combined with an independent review of all information obtained including publicly available information. Please read more about our methodology here.

Where can firms and practitioners find more information?

Please visit ipstars.com/general/about to learn more about IP STARS including FAQs. If you still have further questions after reviewing all this information please contact research@managingip.com