Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

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

Cookies Settings

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
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:
Strandgade 56
Copenhagen K
1401
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 1
14 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

AWA
3 practice areas
View full profile
COPA Copenhagen Patents
6 practice areas
View full profile
Inspicos
3 practice areas
View full profile
Plougmann Vingtoft
6 practice areas
View full profile
Zacco
5 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 2

Budde Schou
8 practice areas
View full profile
Guardian IP Consulting
3 practice areas
View profile
Høiberg
3 practice areas
View profile
Patrade
8 practice areas
View full profile
aera
6 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 3

Potter Clarkson
4 practice areas
View full profile

Other Notable Firms

Chas Hude
7 practice areas
View full profile
Holme Patent
4 practice areas
View full profile
Patentgruppen
4 practice areas
View profile
Trade mark disputes
Tier 3
15 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

Bech‑Bruun
5 practice areas
View profile
Bruun & Hjejle
6 practice areas
View profile
Bugge Valentin
6 practice areas
View profile
Gorrissen Federspiel
6 practice areas
View profile
Plesner
4 practice areas
View profile

Tier 2

Kromann Reumert
7 practice areas
View profile
NJORD Law Firm
6 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 3

AWA
3 practice areas
View full profile
Accura
8 practice areas
View profile
Advora
4 practice areas
View profile
HortenDahl
7 practice areas
View profile
Patrade
8 practice areas
View full profile
Zacco
5 practice areas
View full profile

Other Notable Firms

Løje IP
7 practice areas
View profile
Poul Schmith/Kammeradvokaten
6 practice areas
View profile
Trade mark prosecution - patent & trade mark attorney firms
Tier 1
8 firms ranked
View full list

Tier 1

AWA
3 practice areas
View full profile
Patrade
8 practice areas
View full profile
Plougmann Vingtoft
6 practice areas
View full profile
Zacco
5 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 2

Chas Hude
7 practice areas
View full profile
aera
6 practice areas
View full profile

Tier 3

Budde Schou
8 practice areas
View full profile

Other Notable Firms

Larsen & Birkeholm
5 practice areas
View profile
AWA
Overview

AWA is one of the leading IP firms in the Scandinavian region for IP rights protection and portfolio management. It also has a team of lawyers for contentious and non-contentious legal advice. The firm expanded recently by hiring new IP practitioners; integrating a domain name service into its trade mark offering; and acquiring IP firm Pronovem in June 2019. The firm has experienced patent attorneys in Denmark to advise on patent matters in major technical fields such as life sciences, mechanics, and chemistry.

Notable practitioners: Vibeke Warberg Rohde, Mikkel Roed Trier, Lasse Henze, Claus Marcussen, Eva Carlsson, and Michael Bech Sommer.

Testimonials

2026

"Replies quickly and handles matters professionally."

"Pragmatic with a good understanding of where our business is going."

Mikkel Roed Trier

"Mikkel provides excellent advise and provides good arguments to support both validity and infringement of patents."

Lisa Webster

"Has handled our business for a long time and knows our priorities. She listens and keep agreements."

Eva Carlsson

"Knows our portfolio better than myself!"

 

2025

"They are very knowledgeable in our business area."

"[They have] good technical skills, making communication easy when explaining new ideas and solutions."

"Fast responses to problems or IP requests."

"The team is highly professional, provides excellent service and is very approachable."

"Super service-minded, skilful, and effective."

"Always proactive and structured."

"Good communication. Skilled, flexible employees."

"We have worked with AWA for years and know them to be highly competent and trustworthy."

"They have a wide variety of practitioners that are available to provide advice for whatever needs the client has."

"AWA's ability to break down intricate technical details and translate them into actionable insights has significantly strengthened our ability to advise clients and litigate patent disputes effectively."

"Their team brings not only a profound understanding of patent systems but also a unique ability to communicate technical matters in a clear and accessible way."

"[Their] collaboration has allowed us to build stronger cases, streamline our arguments, and provide clients with a seamless combination of technical and legal expertise.

"AWA’s role in ensuring the technical soundness of our strategies has been critical to achieving favourable outcomes in highly challenging and complex patent matters."

"AWA has been an indispensable partner, enhancing our ability to deliver outstanding results in patent-related cases. Their dedication, technical acumen, and collaborative spirit have made a tangible difference in our work and continue to contribute to our success."

"What we appreciate most about AWA’s IP service and team is their consistent professionalism, depth of expertise, and ability to deliver tailored, effective solutions. Their straightforward and practical approach to protection strategies, as well as defensive and offensive measures in opposition and litigation matters, ensures that our intellectual property is safeguarded at the highest level."

"AWA’s long-standing reputation as a trusted partner to innovative companies across major industries worldwide speaks volumes about their reliability and quality of service.

"Their ability to manage complex tasks—such as coordinating with national patent agencies globally, conducting novelty searches, drafting and filing patent applications, and managing oppositions—ensures seamless handling of all aspects of our IP portfolio."

"AWA’s expertise extends beyond prosecution and portfolio management; their invaluable input during transactional patent due diligence demonstrates their versatility and strategic insight. Whether handling routine matters or high-stakes IP issues, AWA consistently impresses with their thoroughness, industry knowledge, and collaborative approach."

"The trust they have earned globally, both from clients and partner firms, reinforces their standing as a premier provider of IP services. This, combined with their focus on building long-term client relationships, makes AWA a reliable and indispensable partner in managing and protecting intellectual property."

"[They have] a knowledge of our products to support the IP strategy and carry it out."

Linked Reviews
Intellectual property

Patent

Case studies show patent prosecution work in a range of technical fields. Helle Friis Svenstrup has left the firm.

Trade mark

Case studies show trade mark protection and disputes work for several brand owners. IP lawyer Sidsel Hauge was appointed the firm's CEO in 2023.

9 results9 results
Ten firms have each received more than 11 nominations, while more than 20 in-house counsel are up for awards
Managing IP goes behind the scenes to uncover what happens when setting up an SEP licensing programme for electric vehicle chargers, and discovers why law firms play a crucial role
Read the latest news about intellectual property practitioners and firms in Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe
Five law firms lead the pack with more than 10 nominations for this year’s Managing IP EMEA Awards
Read the latest IP practitioner hires, departures and other developments in firms operating in the EMEA region
Sponsored

Sponsored