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This latest annual list of leading European patent law firms is based on recommendations from clients and peers compiled by FT’s research partner Statista.
A total of 215 recommended companies offer patent lawyer services capabilities in an overall list sorted alphabetically in the main table below (sort by name or country using the arrow buttons at the top of the column).
A company that was particularly recommended for services in six industrial specialties: biotechnology, food and healthcare. Chemistry and Pharmacy; Electrical Engineering and Physics; It & Software; Materials and Nanotechnology; and Mechanical Engineering – Included in separate sector lists (under the main table). These companies rank in three classes. Gold (very frequently recommended). Silver (frequently recommended); and bronze (recommended).
For the complete methodology, scroll down to the bottom of the table.
Methodology
FT Europe’s leading patent law firms list consists of the most recommended patent law firms for their services regarding patent prosecution and patent strategy consultations in Europe. This list is based on an online survey of patent lawyers working at patent law firms and an online survey as professionals in the patent division of a company (peer-to-peer survey). and clients consulted or entrusted to a patent law firm.
Survey and Samples
More than 10,000 patent attorneys who work in patent departments and clients in patent law firms and companies have been invited to participate in the investigation. Samples were collected via research conducted by Statista on the company’s website, in publications, and from the previous professional representative research laboratory of the European Patent Office, representing European Patent Attorneys. The invitation was emailed with a personalized link that can be used only once.
Clients who do not receive patent attorneys and individual investigation invitations can participate via links published on FT.com. In these cases, participants had to validate themselves, such as entering a dedicated company email address before responses were considered for evaluation. Research participants were also able to nominate qualified patent attorneys or clients.
Research participants were able to recommend patent law firms in six sectors.
Chemistry and Pharmacy
Electrical Engineering and Physics
mechanical engineering
Biotechnology, Food & Healthcare
Materials and nanotechnology
IT & Software
The survey was conducted from February 6th to March 23rd this year. In total, recommendations from over 3,300 clients and peers were taken into consideration. Recommendations from previous year’s surveys were used at low weight to justify the continued high reputation of the patent law firm’s activities. Self-admiration (recommended your own law firm) and attempts to participate multiple times were prohibited and were not considered.
Top list
The best patent law firm is selected based on the number of recommendations. In total, 217 recommended companies offering patent attorney services are on the overall top list, sorted alphabetically. Their websites have been investigated and recorded, just like their country of origin.
Companies that are particularly strongly recommended for services in any of the six selected sectors are listed in their respective sector lists. They were ranked in three classes: Gold (very frequently recommended), Silver (frequently recommended), and Bronze (recommended).
