This article reveals the results of the 2012 Intellectual Property Super League. The Super League encompasses the best firms according to our research, which have both breadth and depth of recommendations in Intellectual Property, and which are spread over at least two continents (see box, Methodology).
The tables are based on the most recent rankings by PLC Which lawyer? for Intellectual Property which can be found here, and is correct as of 30th April 2012.
Bird & Bird’s unrivalled position as a global leader in intellectual property affords them the leading position in the 2012 Super League. Whilst the firm does not profess a US presence, Bird & Bird’s enviable European and Asian practices provide a one-stop-shop for pan-continental IP strategy and litigation. The practice is spearheaded from Germany and London, both of which hold host to a number of leading professionals including London-based expert litigator Morag McDonald and Dusseldorf-based, Christian Harmsen. These two individuals also lead the practice globally. The firm continues to expand into the Asia region as a key emerging market for IP rich companies and as such has positioned itself for a boom in both core strategic advice and high value IP litigation.
The firm continues to maintain and grow an enviable network of offices across the globe and Baker & McKenzie's worldwide IP practice remains unrivalled in terms of sheer breadth. With core network clients including international pharmaceutical company Abbott, Baker & McKenzie provides a truly global offering to clients in the IP space, both for contentious and non-contentious matters. The firm boasts particular strength in the Asia-Pacific region with core IP competencies emanating from the Australia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand offices. The region’s notoriety for counterfeit products couples exceptionally well with Baker & McKenzie's unfettered ability to combat counterfeiting rings on a domestic, regional and international basis. Meanwhile high value IP litigation is led on a pan-European basis by strongholds in England, Germany and Poland to name but a few. The firm has also an IP presence in the US market with offices in a number of locations; as such it is no surprise that Baker & McKenzie has attained the number two position in the 2012 Super League.
Since the widely publicised combination of US firm Hogan & Hartson with London-based Lovells in May 2010, Hogan Lovells has catapulted itself to one of the top 5 leaders in Intellectual Property worldwide. The firm has experienced excellent continuity post combination and continues to excel in all fields of IP, particularly with regard to pharmaceutical patent litigation. The firm’s recent victory for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, led primarily by expert patent litigator Dominique Menard from the Paris office, is indicative of the top quality expertise that Hogan Lovells boasts. With a remarkable presence in the US, the EU and Asia; Hogan Lovells has a major footprint in cross-continental IP matters for a wealth of leading clients in a number of core industries. The firm’s German practice provides a hub for coordination of pan-European patent and trademark litigation and Dusseldorf-based group head Andreas von Falck is a recognised leader in this field.
Simmons & Simmons boasts an excellent European and Asian IP practice spearheaded from strategic offices across the globe. The international IP practice is headed up by London-based commercial IP expert Richard Binns, who with the support of a wealth of global IP practitioners can provide a formidable panel of experts in high profile litigation and transactions. With core clients including Abercrombie & Fitch, GlaxoSmithKline and Samsung, Simmons offers an exemplary IP practice in a number of key industries.
Freshfields attains the number five position in the 2012 IP Super League. This magic circle firm is well known for its strength in IP across Europe and Asia. With IP competencies based in Austria, China, England, Germany, Hong Kong and The Netherlands, the firm is sought out by industry leaders for particularly high profile IP rich transactions and cross border IP litigation. The firm’s current focus on key emerging markets will undoubtedly position them well for future transactional and contentious matters in the IP field whilst leading practitioner Connie Carnabuci continues to spearhead a reputable IP practice across Asia from the firm’s Hong Kong office.
Jones Day has an enviable position within the global IP market, boasting on the ground expertise in a number of core jurisdictions, most notably Australia, England, France, Germany and USA. Sydney-based partner Anthony Muratore holds ground as an expert IP litigator, primarily in the Life Sciences field in which the firm has carved a niche market for itself on a network- wide basis, boasting equally strong capabilities from China in the form of Tony Chen and Horace Lam. The firm acts for a number of high profile clients in both cross border litigation and IP transactions and continues to be exclusive IP counsel for many.
Covington & Burling is well known as a powerhouse of Life Sciences experts, and the IP department is no exception. With leading Pharmaceutical-focused practitioners based in strategically placed offices in Brussels, London, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC, the firm is widely instructed for cross-border litigation and IP heavy transactions in the industry. Covington’s strength in the IP field also extends beyond the realms of Big Pharma and into a number of other core sectors, most notably in its work for electronics and high-tech companies worldwide. Leading companies from these patent-heavy industries provide the firm with ongoing mandates of high value and complexity, and through clients such as Samsung and Microsoft, Covington has made a name for itself in the IP field.
DLA Piper is recognised for its broad spread of legal capabilities across an enviable number of jurisdictions. The firm’s strategic model focuses on deep expertise in core practice areas uniformly applied across all offices. This approach ensures consistency worldwide and has been replicated in the IP department. DLA’s core IP strengths lie across the European landscape with further capabilities most notably emanating from the UAE. London-based Bonella Ramsay and Simon Levine provide a stellar UK practice for network clients and with an offering reflected in other core jurisdictions including Belgium, Germany and Italy, DLA Piper are deservedly ranked as 8th in the 2012 Super League.
Hoyng Monegier was created in January 2011 as an effective spin-off from the widely talked-about dissolution of IP and Competition giant Howrey. Having strategically decided to depart from the US, Hoyng Monegier now boasts a 4 office IP-focused practice located solely in the EU. Firm heads Denis Monégier du Sorbier in Paris and Willem Hoyng in Amsterdam coordinate a truly pan-European IP practice with a key emphasis on high profile and complex litigation. The firm has been remarkably well received into the market and has become known as a leader for IP in each jurisdiction in which it is based. With an exceptionally strong Pharmaceutical patent litigation practice, Hoyng Monegier is known for high quality work across a number of IP-rich sectors.
This Magic Circle firm continues to demand attention in the field of intellectual property and asserts itself as a leader in IP, predominantly from its European base. The firm boasts a stellar contentious IP offering from its Paris office, headed up by expert patent litigator Pierre Lenoir, and with a commendable practice in London under the control of Nicola Dagg, Allen & Overy are an excellent option for high value IP matters for a wealth of important clients.
Rank | Firm | Total Score | Number of Recommended Lawyers | Recommended in... |
1 | 226 | 27 | Belgium, China and Hong Kong, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden | |
2 | 164 | 29 | Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China and Hong Kong, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russian Federation, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, USA (TX: Austin), Ukraine and Vietnam | |
3 | 164 | 22 | China and Hong Kong, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, USA (NY: New York) and Vietnam | |
4 | 64 | 9 | China & Hong Kong, England and The Netherlands | |
5 | 63 | 10 | Austria, China and Hong Kong, England, Germany, Italy and The Netherlands | |
6 | 61 | 9 | Australia, China and Hong Kong, France, Germany, Taiwan and USA (CA: Los Angeles, IL: Chicago and TX: Austin) | |
7 | 56 | 6 | Belgium, England and USA (DC: Washington, CA: San Francisco and Silicon Valley) | |
8 | 55 | 8 | Austria, Belgium, China and Hong Kong, England, Germany, Italy, Poland, Scotland and United Arab Emirates | |
9 | 52 | 12 | Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Spain | |
10 | 47 | 7 | Belgium, England, France, Luxembourg and The Netherlands |
The Intellectual Property Super League is based on the PLC Which lawyer? research conducted for the IP in Business Transactions multi-jurisdictional guides 2012/13 (see www.practicallaw.com/ip-mjg). The rankings in this article are based on the research as at 30 April 2012.
1. Basis of the PLC Which lawyer? research: our team of researchers speak to the leading legal practices throughout the year, as well as with clients who have recently instructed lawyers, to identify the best known specialists/practices across the key corporate and commercial areas globally. We monitor and analyse recent deal/case information across these areas to identify the firms most active in the market, as well as conducting peer review exercises among the leading practices. On the basis of this research, we rank lawyers and law firms for their expertise in insurance and reinsurance. For a full explanation of the research and practice areas/subcategories covered, please visit www.practicallaw.com/whichlawyer.
2. Intellectual Property areas included in the research: Intellectual Property; IP: patent litigation; IP: non-patent litigation; IP: commercial IP; IP: cross border advice (Japan only); IP: local advice (Japan and China only)
3. Law firms are ranked in each practice area as "leading", "highly recommended", "recommended" or "recognised" in the jurisdictions in which they have relevant capability. Individual lawyers with strong reputations in this sector are singled out as "endorsed".
4. The Intellectual Property Super League results are calculated by aggregating the results of law firm and lawyer recommendations in all of the above practice areas in over 55 jurisdictions, with different points allocated to the level of recommendation. Firm recommendations are given more weighting than individual lawyer rankings. Firm and lawyer recommendations received in China & Hong Kong, England, Germany and USA (CA: San Francisco & Silicon Valley; NY: New York and DC: Washington) are given more weighting than other jurisdictions. To qualify for inclusion in the Super League, a firm must receive recommendations in a minimum of two countries.
5. Firms are ranked by total score and then by number of recommended lawyers, so if firms receive identical scores they are ranked in accordance with which firm has the most recommended lawyers.
6. Policy on mergers: points are aggregated if a full merger has taken place before the calculations for the Super Leagues commence. Correspondent and alliance firms are not included.
7. Firm names are abbreviated to those used in the home jurisdiction.
