Rankings Research

WIPR Insights Law Firm Rankings

Welcome to the home of WIPR Insights rankings. Here you will find authoritative, well-researched, innovative, interesting and business-essential intellectual property global law firm and lawyer rankings information. Our rationale for launching new rankings is there is room for a nimble player, with high credibility, to provide an enhancement to current offerings from a fresh market position.

Our experienced team leverages WIPR's market-leading understanding of the global intellectual property market, with the addition of a rankings editor steeped in bringing innovative rankings and surveys to market at Chambers and Partners, as well as building a successful rankings consultancy with global law firms and a multi-billion dollar in-house team.

Global Trade Secrets Rankings

WIPR Insights launched a Global Trade Secrets 2023 rankings supplement in January 2023 containing feature articles and an industry-first ranking of the leading global law firms.

Olivier Corticchiato, Head of Center of Competence - Patent Oppositions, Nestle described the supplement as: "A good update on trade secrets and its importance. I recommend reading. Trade secrets is both a key business asset and a legal challenge. Understanding and navigating the topic is key."

While a leading trade secrets lawyer added: "Congratulations on a terrific launch of the Global Trade Secrets Rankings. The articles were impressive, and it was clear a lot of work had gone into the entire project. We are honoured by your recognition, and grateful for what you’ve done to help promote trade secrets as a distinct discipline. Well done!" Another leading trade secrets lawyer commented: "What an amazing breadth of content you've pulled together. Just fantastic!"  

Here at WIPR Insights, we'd like to thank all the firms and clients who contributed to the research. You can access the full supplement here.

As well as the rankings, the supplement includes ten feature articles on key trade secrets topics by WIPR Insights staff writers, global law firm partners, and the director of WIPO's Patent and Technology Law Division, such as:

You can view and read the full list of articles here.

2023 Research Schedule

WIPR Insights is publishing a series of global trademarks law firm and lawyer rankings, China Trademark Rankings is to be published imminently and United States Trademark Rankings due in September 2023.

The team is now inviting submissions for Trademark rankings in UK and Germany and will be contacting firms in this area. If you are interested in being included in our rankings, please get in touch and we will share our submission documents.

Key dates:

Request for submissions: 7 August 2023 - 7 September 2023

Research period: 7 August 2023 - 30 September 2023

Publication date: November 2023

Please note: These dates are subject to change

Further rankings topics and dates will be announced later in the year. Please keep an eye out on our social media for updates.

For further information on our rankings, please contact [email protected].

How It Works

The team will speak to leading market organisations and individuals on an ongoing basis to help identify business-essential themes and topics to rank. Law firms and other organisations active in intellectual property are invited to contact WIPR Insights at any time to discuss our current research and rankings, or to suggest new rankings of relevance to the market. 

Once agreed, the topic will be added to a research schedule listed on here. The research schedule will identify the period when:

⦁ We will accept written submissions and client referee sheets for the topic.

⦁ A researcher will research the topic and will contact law firms for telephone interviews and contact client referees.

⦁ We will publish the new rankings tables and editorial commentary. 

Law firms will be sent alerts to update them on our research schedule. You can register to receive these alerts at: [email protected].

New rankings will be researched through a robust assessment of relevant qualitative and quantitative information. Law firms will be invited to submit written submissions and client referee sheets and to take part in in-depth conversations on the details of their practice and on their assessment of the market. 

Clients and other leading market individuals nominated as referees will be approached for their assessment of the law firms who nominated them. The referees may also be asked for a broader assessment of the market of the firms and individuals who should be ranked in the topic. The researcher may also independently identify and contact leading clients and practitioners in the market during their research. 

Submissions

Law firms are invited to submit written submissions and client referee sheets within the "Submissions accepted" period for each topic. 

Please note: Written submissions received after the deadline for submissions for each topic cannot be guaranteed to be included in the research, or to impact on the final rankings.

The submission is your opportunity to set out in writing the key attributes of your practice, for consideration by the researcher. The researcher will be interested to read about your practice in the topic within the context of the overall capability of the firm, the experience and capability of your team, the range and significance of your work, and the breadth and quality of your client base.

You can specifically express your views on the appropriate rankings of other firms and lawyers for the topic, as well as your firm's and lawyers' appropriate ranking for the topic.

You can also share submissions prepared for another publication, although remember to share your thoughts on our specific rankings.

Client Referee Sheets

The client referee sheets are your opportunity to give us the contact details of clients and others who have direct experience of your practice in the topic. This can be important if you would like us to hear views on your practice outside the views of your peers and direct competitors.

Careful thought should be given to the selection of these referees. Did they instruct you on your most significant work listed in the submission? Are they clients, intermediaries, or peers with a broad understanding of the topic and of the leading practitioners in the area beyond your firm?

In what way are they qualified to act as referees for your practice and to provide an assessment of your firm and lawyers that matches your self-appraisal of where you believe you rank in the topic? Remember the purpose of the submission document is to provide information to justify your preferred ranking for your firm and lawyers in the topic.

You can also share referee sheets you have prepared for other publications. We have added a column to let us know if the referee is a client on one of your key work matters named in the submission.

If you would like to speak to the editorial team before you compile your submission you can contact us at: [email protected].

Please note: All client referees will be contacted with an email asking them for their feedback on your firm relative to the topic. Referees may also be asked if they would like to speak to a researcher for a more discursive conversation.

Telephone Interviews with Lawyers

As part of the research process some lawyers will be invited to speak to the researcher about the information in their firm's submission and any additional information relevant to the firm’s potential ranking.

Informed by their research, the researcher may also ask the lawyers about key topic themes and about their experience and appraisal of other firms in the market. Any such comments about other firms will remain non-attributable.

Not all firms who submit a written submission for the topic can be guaranteed a telephone interview. The researcher will invite those lawyers, guided by their research, who they  believe can give the best assessment of the rankings and represent the broadest range of candidate firms.