Managing IP hosted a gala dinner yesterday, June 21, to recognise law firms, companies, and practitioners for their intellectual property work achievements last year. More than 500 guests joined us at the Hilton London Metropole to find out who won in a whole host of categories.
Support for Jonathan's Voice
The ceremony was also used to promote the work of the mental health charity Jonathan’s Voice and raise funds for it. Managing IP also donated to the charity.
Please click here to donate to the charity.
Special awards and in-house winners
We presented two European Cross-Border Patent Litigation Team awards to the notable firms that advised Novartis and Nokia on their respective high-profile pan-European patent actions in 2022. The other special award was a Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to Trevor Cook of Bird & Bird for his long and successful career in IP and contributions to the UK IP community.
Below, you can find all the firm and practitioner award winners, our selected Impact Cases of the Year, and a summary of our reasons for the in-house awards. See the shortlists here. We will publish the reasons for the Firm and Practitioner of the Year awards we presented on their respective pages on ipstars.com in September.
We now turn our attention to the last ceremony of the year, the Asia-Pacific Awards ceremony, which will be held in Hong Kong SAR on July 5. Please see the winners of the Americas Awards here.
See some of the photos from the EMEA Awards ceremony here.
Congratulations to all the winners!
NATIONAL CATEGORIES
AUSTRIA
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution
Gassauer-Fleissner
Copyright
Practitioner of the Year
BELGIUM
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Prosecution
Copyright & Design
Fencer
Practitioner of the Year
Thierry Van Innis, Van Innis & Delarue
DENMARK
Patent Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark (Law Firms)
Plesner
Trademark (Patent and Trademark Attorney Firms)
AWA
Copyright & Design
Plesner
Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Anders Valentin, Bugge Valentin
Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
FINLAND
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution
Heinonen & Co
Copyright & Design
Properta Attorneys
Practitioner of the Year
Ben Rapinoja, Borenius
FRANCE
Patent Disputes (Law Firms)
IP Disputes (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Trademark Disputes (Law Firms)
Patent Prosecution
Lavoix
Trademark Prosecution (Law Firms)
Bird & Bird
Trademark Prosecution (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Plasseraud IP
Copyright
Vercken & Gaullier
Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Stéphane Guerlain, Armengaud Guerlain
Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
GERMANY
Patent Disputes (Law Firms)
Patent Disputes (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Patent Prosecution
Trademark (Law Firms)
Trademark (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Copyright & Design
Nordemann
IP Transactions & Advisory
Hengeler Mueller
Patent Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Christoph Walke, Cohausz & Florack
HUNGARY
Firm of the year
Practitioner of the Year
Katalin Szamosi, SBGK
IRELAND
Patent Disputes
Whitney Moore
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution
Copyright & Design
Mason Hayes & Curran
IP Transactions & Advisory
Practitioner of the Year
Gerard Kelly, Mason Hayes & Curran
ISRAEL
Patent Disputes
Liad Whatstein & Co
Trademark Disputes
S Horowitz & Co
Patent Prosecution
Ehrlich Group
Trademark Prosecution
Seligsohn Gabrieli & Co
Copyright & Design
S Horowitz & Co
IP Transactions & Advisory
Practitioner of the Year
Karen Elburg, Herzog Fox & Neeman
ITALY
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Trademark Prosecution (Law Firms)
Copyright & Design
Practitioner of the Year
Elena Martini, Martini Manna & Partners
KENYA
Firm of the Year
Practitioner of the Year
John Syekei, Bowmans (Coulson Harney)
THE NETHERLANDS
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution
Copyright
Visser Schaap & Kreijger
IP Transactions & Advisory
Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Tobias Cohen Jehoram, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorneys)
Michiel Rijsdijk, Arnold & Siedsma
NIGERIA
Firm of the Year
Practitioner of the Year
NORWAY
Patent Disputes
Trademark (Law Firms)
Trademark (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Patent Prosecution
Onsagers
Copyright & Design
Haavind
Practitioner of the Year
POLAND
Advisory & Disputes
Patpol
Prosecution
Copyright & Design
SKP Ślusarek Kubiak Pieczyk
Practitioner of the Year
Dariusz Piróg, Patpol
PORTUGAL
Advisory & Disputes
Prosecution
Simões Garcia Corte Real & Associados
Practitioner of the Year
João Miranda de Sousa, Garrigues
ROMANIA
Firm of the Year
Practitioner of the Year
Ana-Maria Baciu, Simion & Baciu
SOUTH AFRICA
Patent
Trademark
IP Transactions & Advisory
ENSafrica
Copyright & Design
Adams & Adams
Practitioner of the Year
Gaelyn Scott, ENSafrica
SPAIN
Patent Disputes (Law Firms)
Patent Disputes (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Elzaburu
Trademark Disputes
Grau & Angulo
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution (Law Firms)
Trademark Prosecution (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Copyright
Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Montserrat Jané, ZBM Patents & Trademarks
SWEDEN
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Trademark Prosecution (Law Firms)
Vinge
Copyright & Design
Vinge
Practitioner of the Year
SWITZERLAND
Patent Disputes
MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep (MLL Legal)
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution
Weinmann Zimmerli
Copyright
MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep (MLL Legal)
IP Transactions & Advisory
MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep (MLL Legal)
Practitioner of the Year
Peter Schramm, MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep (MLL Legal)
TURKEY
Patent Disputes
Trademark Disputes
Patent Prosecution
Gün + Partners
Trademark Prosecution
Copyright & Design
Gün + Partners
Practitioner of the Year
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Advisory & Disputes
Prosecution
Practitioner of the Year
Omar Obeidat, Al Tamimi & Company
UNITED KINGDOM (ENGLAND)
Patent Disputes (Law Firms)
Patent Disputes (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Trademark Disputes (Law Firms)
Trademark Disputes (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Stobbs IP
Patent Prosecution
Trademark Prosecution (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Trademark Prosecution (Law Firms)
Charles Russell Speechlys
Copyright
Design
IP Transactions & Advisory
Gowling WLG
IP Set
8 New Square
Senior IP Barrister of the Year
Adrian Speck KC
Junior IP Barrister of the Year
IPEC Firm of the Year
Patent Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Soft IP Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms)
Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Stephen Duffield, Carpmaels & Ransford
UNITED KINGDOM (SCOTLAND)
IP Disputes
Prosecution
IP Transactions & Advisory
Practitioner of the Year
REGIONAL AWARDS
AFRICA
Firm of the Year
Adams & Adams
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA
Firm of the Year
Under review
EUROPE
Patent Disputes (Law Firms)
EPO Proceedings Firm of the Year
Patent Disputes (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Patent Prosecution
Trademark (Law Firms)
Trademark (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Copyright
Hoyng Rokh Monegier
IP Transactions & Advisory
BALTIC
Firm of the Year
Cobalt
BENELUX
Trademark (Law Firms)
NautaDutilh
Trademark (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Patent (Law Firms)
Hoyng Rokh Monegier
Patent (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
NORDIC
Firm of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)
Firm of the Year (Law Firms)
GLOBAL
Firm of the Year
IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES
Europe In-House Team of the Year (Patent)
Novartis
Novartis demonstrated strategic enforcement and defence of key pharmaceutical patent rights across Europe. The company’s action over fingolimod saw European courts examine the use of a patent application to obtain a preliminary injunction. In the UK, the case provided further guidance on the grant of the Arrow declaration. In the Netherlands, the company obtained a cross-border injunction to protect its Sandostatin LAR product across several European jurisdictions. The work of its IP team contributed to the financial performance of the business in 2022.
Europe In-House Team of the Year (Trademark)
Christian Louboutin
The French fashion designer Christian Louboutin has continued to protect and enforce the IP rights for its red-soled shoes across the world. The company obtained a high-profile CJEU judgment in its dispute against Amazon, which clarified when an online marketplace operator could be held liable for trade mark infringement. Its European-based IP team contributed to the company’s product and marketing strategies and secured court victories in China, an important market for the brand.
Europe In-House Leader of the Year
Beat Weibel, Siemens
Beat Weibel leads the IP department at Siemens. Under his leadership, Siemens’ patenting activities have grown, and its IP team has been deeply involved in the company’s innovation process. One thing that makes Weibel stand out is his strong emphasis on the quality of patents rather than quantity, and this strategy has not affected Siemens’ position as one of the leading patent filers in recent years. Outside of work, Weibel leads the Industry Patent Quality Charter, an initiative supported by in-house counsel who have pledged to prioritise quality over quantity in their patent filing strategies. The initiative is expected to influence the EPO’s efforts to improve the quality of its patents.
Global Patent Licence Provider of the Year
Avanci
Patent pool operator Avanci continues to garner plaudits in the market for its transformational approach to standard-essential patent (SEP) licensing in the automotive industry. Founded in 2016, the company has so far successfully defended antitrust challenges in the United States. The company’s licensing programmes have brought together the big wireless technology patent owners and manufacturers in the automotive industry, covering over 100 million vehicles with connectivity.
In 2022, Avanci welcomed more companies, including Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, to the Avanci Vehicle 4G, a programme that offers access to SEP licences for 4G, 3G, and 2G cellular technologies. Avanci has since launched new programmes for companies in the aftermarket sector and is expected to expand into 5G and other IoT segments.
SPECIAL AWARDS
Europe Cross-Border Patent Litigation Team
For Novartis (fingolimod patent)
The following firms advised Novartis on the enforcement of its second medical use patent for Gilenya, a multiple sclerosis drug: ALTIUS (Belgium), Plesner (Denmark), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Germany and Netherlands), Roschier (Finland), Allen & Overy (France), VdA (Portugal), Homburger (Switzerland), Trevisan & Cuonzo (Italy), Clifford Chance (Spain), Mannheimer Swartling (Sweden), and Bristows (the UK).
For Nokia (4G and 5G patents)
The following firms advised Nokia on the enforcement and defence of its 4G and 5G patents in Europe: Bird & Bird (Europe), Samson & Partner (Germany), Cohausz & Florack (Germany), df-mp (Germany), and Arnold Ruess (Germany)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Trevor Cook is a widely respected international IP litigator who has been active in the UK IP community for nearly half a century. He spent more than 35 years at Bird & Bird before moving to the US to help WilmerHale expand its IP practice into Europe.
While in the US, Cook was still deeply involved in the UK IP community. He is a regular writer, featuring in several practitioner texts, such as Pharmaceuticals Biotechnology and the Law and Sterling on World Copyright Law, and currently serves as the chairman of the British Copyright Council. Previously, he was the president of AIPPI UK.
IMPACT CASES
Belgium
SABAM v FMFF (2022)
Firm(s): Crowell & Moring and ALTIUS
Czech Republic
DILIA v Uloz.to cloud (2022)
Denmark
Novartis v Viatris and others (2022)
Firm(s): Kromann Reumert and Bugge Valentin
ferm Living v Wolly (2022)
Michael Learns to Rock v EMI Music Publishing (2022)
Firm(s): Bid & Bird and Gorrissen Federspiel
Finland
Scanbox Entertainment v DNA (2022)
MTV v Teosto (2022)
Firm(s): Bird & Bird and Castrén & Snellman
France
Valve v UFQ-Que Choisir (2022)
Firm(s): Allen & Overy
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute v INPI (2022)
Firm(s): Simmons & Simmons
Hutchinson v Tyron Runflat (2022)
Novartis v Biogaran (2022)
Firm(s): Allen & Overy and Casalonga
Italy
Juventus FC v Blockeras (2022)
Firm(s): Trevisan & Cuonzo
Universal Music Italy & ors v Cloudfare (2022)
Firm(s): LGV Avvocati
Poland
Chomikuj.pl v Polish Filmmakers Association (2022)
Firm(s): Traple Konarski Podrecki & Partners
The Netherlands
Novartis v Pharmathen (2022)
Firm(s): Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
HP v Stichting de Thuiskopie (2022)
Firm(s): AC & R, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek and Houthoff
Max Emilian Verstappen v MAVIC (2022)
Norway
Audi v Starco Norge (2022)
Firm(s): Forsberg
Kystjerdet v Norgesgjerde (2022)
Firm(s): Simonsen Vogt Wiig and Tenden
Switzerland
FIFA v PUMA (2022)
Firm(s): MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep (MLL Legal) and Nater Dallafior
United Kingdom
The Tomatin Distillery Company v Tomatin Trading Company (2022)
Firm(s): MacRoberts
Geofabrics v Fiberweb Geosynthetics (2022)
Firm(s): Womble Bond Dickinson
Barrister(s): Michael Hicks
Bei Yu Industrial Co v Nuby (2022)
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy v GE Energy (2022)
Firm(s): Hogan Lovells
Barrister(s): Thomas Mitcheson KC, Stuart Baran and Alice Hart
Lappet Manufacturing Company v Rassam & Ors (2022)
Firm(s): Potter Clarkson
Barrister(s): Michael Hicks
Neurim Pharmaceuticals v Generics UK (2022)
Firm(s): Gowling WLG and Pinsent Masons
Barrister(s): Andrew Lykiardopoulos KC and Katherine Moggridge
Novartis v Teva UK (2022)
Firm(s): Bristows, Pinsent Masons, Taylor Wessing and Mishcon de Reya
Barrister(s): Andrew Waugh KC and Geoffrey Pritchard
Nokia v OnePlus Technology (2022)
Firm(s): Bird & Bird
Barrister(s): Nicholas Saunders QC, Joanne Box and Edmund Eustace
Kigen (UK) v Thales Dis France (2022)
Tradeix v New Holland Ventures (2022)
Firm(s): Marks & Clerk
Optis v Apple (2022)
Firm(s): EIP and Osborne Clarke
Barrister(s): Sarah Ford KC, Isabel Jamal, Emily MacKenzie and Jennifer Dixon
Philips v Oppo (2022)
Firm(s): Bristows
Barrister(s): Alan Maclean KC
Shazam Productions v Only Fools The Dining Experience (2022)
Firm(s): Ashfords
Barrister(s): Jonathan Hill
GW Pharma v Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co (2022)
Firm(s): Powell Gilbert
Barrister(s): James Segan KC and Ravi Mehta
Sheeran v Chokri (2022)
Europe
Christian Louboutin v Amazon (2022)
Firm(s): Van Innis & Delarue and Decker & Braun
Heitec v Heitech Promotion (2022)
Firm(s): Kather Augenstein and Rohnke Winter
SodaStream International v MySoda (2022)
Firm(s): Borenius and Properta Attorneys
RTL Television v SALVOR (2022)
Firm(s): Abreu Advogados
Health and Happiness (H&H) v EUIPO (2022)
Firm(s): Mishcon de Reya
Standard International Management v EUIPO (2022)
Deichmann v EUIPO (2022)
Firm(s): Güell IP
Pest Control Office v Full Colour Black (2022)
Koch Media v FU (2022)
Phoenix Contact v Harting (2022)
Firm(s): CBH and Maikowski & Ninnemann
Impexeco NV v Novartis (2022)
Firm(s): Crowell & Moring and Fencer
Merck Sharp & Dohme v Abacus Medicine (2022)
Novartis v Abacus Medicine (2022)
Firm(s): King & Spalding and NJORD Law Firm
Bayer Intellectual Property v kohlpharma (2022)
Firm(s): Clifford Chance
Iceland v Iceland Foods (2022)
Firm(s): Arnason Faktor
Acacia v BMW (2022)
KP v Gemeinde Bodman-Ludwigshafen (2022)
Austro-Mechana v Strato (2022)
Firm(s): Dorda and Walter Law Firm
The Absolut Company v EUIPO (2022)
Shopify v EUIPO (2022)
Research methodology
The Managing IP Awards programme is the most comprehensive and widely respected IP law firm awards event in the legal industry. Now in its 18th year, the programme covers several IP practice areas and more than 50 jurisdictions. Read about the practice areas and award categories here.
Each year, our research analysts obtain information from thousands of firms, IP practitioners, and their clients through interviews, emails, and online surveys. We ask firms and in-house teams to complete their respective research forms here. This year's awards are based on last year's developments and information.
Before compiling the shortlists, our researchers evaluated work data supplied by firms and, where applicable, reviewed publicly available information such as court and IP office records. They focused on work done or concluded in the previous year, particularly looking for case studies that were of great significance to clients and/or IP law and practice. Firms, companies, and individuals can also win an award or be shortlisted based on our independent research findings alone.
The research for the IP STARS rankings and the Managing IP Awards programme is rigorous and impartial. There is no fee to pay to participate in our research, but participation does not guarantee recognition. The awards are not influenced by any commercial relationship with Managing IP, and no firm or individual can pay to influence the results. Any firm, regardless of its ranking in IP STARS, can win the Managing IP award.
The Managing IP Awards programme is distinct and separate from any other legal industry awards programmes organised by Delinian (formerly Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC) and promoted on our website.
Please contact Kingsley Egbuonu if you have research-related enquiries about the Managing IP Awards programme.
History of the Managing IP Awards
Managing IP launched its awards programme in 2006. The ceremonies attract hundreds of guests, including in-house counsel and prominent public officials in the IP industry. The programme is widely regarded as the premier IP law firm awards event in the legal industry. The previous winners of the Managing IP Awards can be found here.
