Bird & Bird, Baker & McKenzie and Lovells headed up an elite list of winners at MIP's inaugural Awards Ceremony, each picking up two firm of the year awards at a ceremony in London last week.

Bird & Bird won the top spot in Belgium and the UK, while Baker & McKenzie took the prize for national IP firm of the year in Russia and China (where it won foreign firm category). Lovells was recognized as the firm of the year in Germany and the multi-jurisdiction firm of the year in Europe.

In all, 32 law firms and individuals were recognized at a dinner at Claridge's Hotel on Wednesday. These included 26 national law firm winners, plus the winners of awards for pan-European practice, in-house team of the year and MIP's US firm of the year in Europe.

More than 130 lawyers attended the magazine's presentation dinner from as far afield as Buenos Aires, Stockholm, Melbourne, Beijing and Seoul.

BATMark, British American Tobacco's IP management company, won the in-house team award while Kirkland & Ellis was awarded US patent firm of the year and Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu won US trade mark and copyright firm of the year.

The awards were the result of an extensive process of research that began last September. As part of the research that goes into producing MIP's annual IP survey, researchers sought nominations for the awards. They contacted more than 2,000 people directly and carried out some 500 interviews by email, telephone and face to face.

The results of the survey were published in MIP's February and March issues. Based on that research, MIP's editorial team also drew up shortlists – and ultimately winners – for 32 national, regional and individual awards categories.

MIP magazine's lifetime achievement award was presented to former IP judge Sir Hugh Laddie.

"When Sir Hugh retired last year, 11 years earlier than he was entitled to, the UK judiciary lost more than just its leading patents judge," MIP Asia editor Emma Barraclough told the audience. "Laddie had been a vocal, provocative and at times controversial participant in the IP system in both the UK and Europe since his appointment as a judge in 1995. Ruling in some of the most influential cases of the past decade, such as Arsenal v Reed, BHB v William Hill, Amgen v TKT, Wagamama v City Centre, Coflexip and Eddie Irvine v TalkSport, Laddie addressed many cutting-edge IP issues."

The full list of winners can be seen here. MIP subscription needed or sign up for a free trial for full access.