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The rankingsLegal market analysisAmericas: The impact of US patent reform Asia: The firms making the most of Asia's growth Europe: How will firms respond to the UPC? Features |
Among all the regions covered in this year's Survey, Asia tends to have the most fluid rankings. Because the markets are developing, and at a rapid pace, where more established jurisdictions such as the US and the UK are more settled, there is room for newer firms to make a mark. Furthermore, these firms are building their reputations through work on some truly original legal issues in their jurisdictions. The two biggest Asian markets are prime examples of this. Though the top of the Indian tables is dominated by well-respected heavyweights such as Anand & Anand and Singh & Singh, many of the moves in other parts of the rankings involve firms that are relatively new. For example, Perfexio Legal moved up in the patent contentious rankings due in part to positive comments from practitioners, mostly from more established practices, that it was now a very well-regarded practice. The firm, which was only founded in 2011, has drawn attention for its performance in patent litigation in the pharmaceutical industry.
On the prosecution side, several firms such as ZeusIP received praise from peers in larger firms for their work in the life sciences. Given the controversies in India in the past two years over pharma patent validity and compulsory licences, it is not surprising that younger firms are making their mark in these areas.
Highlights from the survey |
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Many of the changes in China's rankings also correspond with legal trends there. Several of the firms moving up the patent contentious tables, such as China Patent Agent (HK) and CCPIT received praise from peers and clients for their strong performances in high-tech patent disputes. Not only does this reflect increasing litigation involving technology patents, but it is a sign that the IP environment in China is maturing; as more domestic and foreign companies file for patents, it is inevitable that litigation volume will increase. Meanwhile in prosecution, patent filing volume continues to rise, with SIPO reporting that it accepted 825,000 invention patent applications last year, a 26.3% increase. The continual increase has not had a marked effect on how the firms rank relative to each other, though on the whole there is more work going around. However, several of the domestic firms that moved up boasted strong relationships with international clients who were quite happy with their work, reflecting the continuing trend of international rights holders in filing for protection in China.
