Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2022

This latest annual listing of Europe’s leading patent law firms is based on recommendations by clients and peers, as compiled by the FT’s research partner Statista.

A total of 167 recommended firms offering the services of patent attorneys feature in the overall list, sorted in alphabetical order in the main table below (use the toggle to sort by country).

Firms that were especially recommended for their services in six areas of industrial expertise have been included in sector lists. They were ranked in three classes: gold (very frequently recommended), silver (frequently recommended) and bronze (recommended). These are displayed in separate tables below the main listing.

The final table shows top firms ranked by the number of their awards and also provide a breakdown of the numbers of leading patent law firms by country.

Scroll below the tables for full methodology.

Methodology

The list is composed of the most recommended patent law firms for services around patent prosecution and patent strategy consultation in Europe. It is based on an online survey of patent attorneys working in patent law firms and as experts in the patent departments of companies (peer-to-peer survey); and clients who have consulted with or commissioned a patent law firm.

Survey and sample

More than 10,000 patent attorneys and clients were invited to take part in the survey. The sample was collected via research conducted by Statista on company websites, in publications, and from the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office, the professional body representing European patent attorneys. Patent attorneys and clients could also participate via a link on FT.com.

Participants could recommend patent law firms in general, as well as for six selected sectors: Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals; Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Biotechnology & Food; Materials & Nanotechnology; IT & Software.

The survey was conducted February 8-March 27 2022. The recommendations of more than 3,200 clients and peers were considered. Self-recommendations and attempts to participate multiple times were prohibited and not taken into consideration.

Top lists

Firms are selected based on the number of recommendations. In total, 167 firms made it into the overall top list.

Firms that were highly recommended for their services in one of the six selected sectors were ranked in three classes: gold (very frequently recommended), silver (frequently recommended), and bronze (recommended).

All lists were created through a complex process. However, the quality of firms that are not included is not disputed.