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Key contacts
CEO: Sidsel Hauge
Group Vice President: Kristina Walls
Group Vice President: Ai-Leen Lim
Quick facts
Established

1897

Number of Partners

65

Number of Practitioners

215

Languages

Chinese – Mandarin and Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish

Key practice areas
Intellectual property
Trade mark
Patent
Trade mark prosecution
Trade mark prosecution - patent & trade mark attorney firms
Firm overview

AWA is a leading IP firm with over 370 employees across 22 offices in Belgium, China, Denmark, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

We believe tomorrow is today’s emerging business – rising up from untapped potential within established industries and start-ups. No matter the size or industry, we help our clients create business out of their ideas and innovations.

AWA was founded in 1897 by Swedish engineer Anders Wilhelm Anderson. His initials form our company name and remind us of our proud history.

We supply a full-service offering of IP law services in prosecution, dispute litigation, aftermarket services, legal advice, strategy and commercialisation. Our IP professionals are experts in patents, trademark, design, copyright and domain names.


What sets up apart

Global: AWA has a presence in Europe and Asia with an extensive network of qualified preferred partners all over the world. We can handle your IP needs globally and follow-up in real-time.

Diversity and Colloboration: Our people come from diverse backgrounds with practical industry knowledge. Their technical capability means they understand the small details and how this differentiates you in the marketplace. Our teams comprise engineers working closely with attorneys at law and vice versa. This seamless collaboration ensures that the right skillset and legal knowledge is available and utilised for our client’s innovations. We pride ourselves on our comprehensive trainee programme for future IP leaders.

Strategy: We focus on the long-term – building a business is a journey that requires strategy. We support companies throughout the corporate cycle to protect and enforce IP rights, but to also identify and capture the value of intellectual assets.

Digital Innovation: We live in the digital era and are constantly looking at tools that reduce workload and save time. From the AWA Client Porta, to our domain management services – we are innovating the IP tools of the future.

Employee Owned: AWA is 100% owned by the employees with more than 50% of us choosing to invest or hold shares in the Group. This reflects our personal and long-term commitment to both our firm and our clients.

AWA Asia

Part of the AWA Group, AWA Asia supports and manages international clients’ IP needs throughout the region with a head office in Hong Kong – a location known for its successful business environment, world-class infrastructure and effective legal system.

Our Beijing office is our wholly owned licensed trademark agency, allowing us to file and enforce trademarks directlybefore the China Trademark Office and the administrative authorities, without the need to use local third-party agents.

Today, China is one of the largest IP markets in the world and is increasingly being selected as a key venue for IP litigation by foreign and local entities alike.

AWA Asia has strong value proposition that consists of an East-meets-West approach, with a bilingual and bicultural team of IP professionals (trademark lawyers, patent attorneys and IP strategists). Our international-level service delivery comes with deep local knowledge and is business minded, pragmatic and tailored.

 

Network memberships: AIPPI, APAA, ECTA, epi, FICPI, INTA, The Lawyer Network, LES Scandinavia, MARQUES, Union-IP

Practice Areas & Sector Specialisations

Practice Areas:

  • Copyright
  • Designs
  • IP transactions
  • Life sciences
  • Patent contentious
  • Patent litigation
  • Patent office proceedings
  • Patent prosecution
  • Patent strategy & counseling
  • Trade mark contentious
  • Trade mark litigation
  • Trade mark office proceedings
  • Trade mark prosecution
  • Trade mark strategy & counseling
  • ITC litigation

Sector Expertise:

  • Advertising
  • Aerospace & defence
  • Agriculture
  • Automotive
  • Biotechnology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer technology & services
  • Construction & materials
  • E-commerce
  • Electrical
  • Electronics
  • Fashion & luxury goods
  • FMCG
  • Food & beverage
  • Furniture
  • Healthcare
  • ICT & software
  • Industrials
  • Instruments
  • Internet
  • Life sciences
  • Manufacturing
  • Mechanical
  • Medical device
  • Nanotechnology
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Renewable energy
  • Retail
  • Semiconductors
  • Technology hardware
  • Telecommunication
  • Universities
  • Utilities
Address:
Tour & Taxis – Royal Depot Box : 216 Havenlaan 86c Avenue du Port
1000 Brussels, Belgium
B-1082
Tel:+46 40 98 51 00 Fax:+46 40 26 05 16 Email:Contact Us Web Address:http://www.awa.com
2026 Edition
Patent prosecution
Tier 2
10 firms ranked
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Tier 1

Arnold & Siedsma
6 practice areas
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De Clercq & Partners
1 practice area
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Gevers
6 practice areas
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Tier 2

AWA
5 practice areas
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Brantsandpatents
6 practice areas
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VO
4 practice areas
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Tier 3

Calysta
5 practice areas
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Trade mark prosecution - patent & trade mark attorney firms
Tier 1
10 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

AWA
5 practice areas
View full profile
Gevers
6 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 3

Arnold & Siedsma
6 practice areas
View full profile
Brantsandpatents
6 practice areas
View profile
Calysta
5 practice areas
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Kirkpatrick
6 practice areas
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Tier 2

De Clercq & Partners
1 practice area
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Novagraaf
3 practice areas
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Winger
5 practice areas
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Other Notable Firms

Oryon
4 practice areas
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AWA
Overview

AWA is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management work. The firm operates in more than five jurisdictions in Europe and has offices in China and Hong Kong SAR. It entered the Benelux market in 2019 through its acquisition of IP firm Pronovem. The firm has experienced European patent attorneys in Belgium for different technical fields, including chemistry, biotechnology, and mechanical engineering.

Notable patent practitioners: Paul-André Gollier, Dieter Heck and Eric Van Malderen.

Notable trade mark practitioner: Marianne Stanislaus.

Testimonials

2025

"Their excellent accessibility and responsiveness" impresses a client who adds: "[They are] easy to reach by phone, they respect time limits agreed upon, and they are fast [with the] cases entrusted to them. They show a high flexibility."

"AWA has an excellent administrative staff, with close follow-up of time limits and swift reporting of actions they have carried out on our files, and a willingness to simplify administrative co-operation."

Linked Reviews
Patent

Case studies show patent drafting, filing and office proceedings. The firm advised Carmeuse on IP strategy and protection. Partner Michel Gillo left the firm in 2024.

Trade mark

Case studies show the firm provided trade mark strategy, prosecution and enforcement services to brand owners in sectors such as clothing and manufacturing. 

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