IP Stars surveys now underway

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 4 Bouverie Street, London, EC4Y 8AX

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

IP Stars surveys now underway

ip20stars20stacked20400.jpg

Research for the 2016 edition of IP Stars, Managing IP’s legal directory, has now started. We explain the process and why IP firms and practitioners worldwide should participate

What is IP Stars?

ip20stars20stacked20400.jpg

IP Stars is a specialist guide to the leading IP firms and practitioners worldwide. It is published annually (online and in print) by Managing Intellectual Property. The publication contains firm rankings and analyses, and a list of leading IP practitioners (“the IP Stars”) with additional data such as their industry focus and practice area. Here is some historical background: IP Stars Survey was formerly known as World IP Survey, and Managing IP published its first IP firm rankings in 1996.

Can you explain the research process?

In summary, researchers invite firms and practitioners to complete their respective questionnaires online. These are hosted on Survey Monkey. As we receive submissions, we start interviewing firms and contacting clients for feedback. Thereafter we conduct our own independent research before drawing up the rankings and IP Stars list. The research also feeds into Managing IP’s annual awards.

Why is it important for firms to participate?

The least we expect is for firms to complete the firm questionnaire. The firm questionnaire is where firms give us information about their IP practice - focusing on patent, trade mark and copyright - and IP work in the last 12 months. We use this information, together with other sources, for the firm rankings and analyses.

Regardless of whether a firm is now ranked or not, it is important to submit a firm questionnaire each year because from the submission we may find information which is not available elsewhere and might influence a firm’s ranking. If a firm is not yet ranked, then this is an opportunity for the firm to tell us why it should be included. Nonetheless, a firm can still be ranked even if it did not participate in the research.

What about the leading IP practitioners (“the IP Stars”) list?

The list originates from recommendations by peers and clients, and of course the researcher’s independent research. The IP Stars also complete a questionnaire which provides us with the details of their IP practice. The list is subject to change each year.

Is there a cost to participate in IP Stars research?

None at all.

Where can those who wish to participate find the links to the online questionnaires you mentioned above?

We host our questionnaires on Survey Monkey.

Firm survey

For firms based outside the USA, please click here

For firms based in the USA, please click here


Practitioner survey

For practitioners based outside the USA, please click here

For practitioners based in the USA, please click here

To help firms and practitioners prepare, we have made available the draft PDF versions of these questionnaires. Click here to view them. Please note that we do not accept submissions in PDF or Word format. Only submissions made through Survey Monkey will be accepted.

When are the submission deadlines?

For the firm questionnaire it is November 9 2015; the practitioner questionnaire is January 31 2016.

When will you publish the 2016 firm rankings and IP Stars list?

Initially, the rankings will be published in Managing IP magazine as follows: patent rankings in the February issue, trade mark rankings in the March issue, and copyright rankings in the April issue.

Thereafter, three handbooks - containing all the firm rankings and our analysis of these firms and a list of highly-recommended IP practitioners (“the IP Stars”) - will be published: April for the US edition of the patent, trade mark & copyright handbook and the Global edition of the trade mark & copyright handbook; and July for the Global edition of the patent handbook. The rankings, analyses and the IP Stars list will also be uploaded to our website ipstars.com.

Where can firms and practitioners find more information on IP Stars?

Please visit ipstars.com/general/about for more information on methodology, FAQs, research timelines and submission deadlines, among other things. If you still have further questions please contact us.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Eva-Maria Strobel reveals some of the firm’s IP achievements and its approach to client relationships
Lateral hires at Thompson Hine and Pierson Ferdinand said they were inspired by fresh business opportunities and innovative strategies at their new firms
The launch of a new IP insurance product and INTA hiring a former USPTO commissioner were also among the top talking points this week
The firm explains how it secured a $170.6 million verdict against the government in a patent dispute surrounding airport technology, and why the case led to interest from other inventors
Developments of note included the court partially allowing a claim concerning confidentiality clubs and a decision involving technology used in football matches
The firm said adding capability in the French capital completes its coverage of all major patent litigation jurisdictions as it strives for UPC excellence
Marc Fenster explains how keeping the jury focused on the most relevant facts helped secure a $279m win for his client against Samsung
Clients are divided on what externally funded IP firms bring to the table, so those firms must prove why the benefits outweigh the downsides
Rahul Bhartiya, AI coordinator at the EUIPO, discusses the office’s strategy, collaboration with other IP offices, and getting rid of routine tasks
A boom in transactional work and a heightened awareness of IP have helped boost revenue for the rebranded commercial services team
Gift this article