This 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 160 recommended firms offering the services of patent attorneys feature in the overall list, sorted in alphabetical order in the main table below (click on the main table to also 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). To view these firms, see sectoral tables below the main listing.

Sectors

Biotechnology & Food

Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals

Electrical Engineering

IT & Software

Materials & Nanotechnology

Mechanical Engineering

Also, we finally present below an extra table of top firms ranked by the number of their awards and also provide a breakdown of the numbers of leading patent law firms by country.

For a methodology of how the tables were compiled, see foot of tables.

Europe’s leading patent law firms
Patent Law FirmCountry of Origin
2SPLGermany
AA ThorntonUnited Kingdom
Abel & ImrayUnited Kingdom
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain
AbitzGermany 
ADFrance
aeraDenmark
Allen & OveryUnited Kingdom
AOMBNetherlands 
Appleyard LeesUnited Kingdom
Arnold & SiedsmaNetherlands 
AWASweden
BalderSpain 
Bandpay & GreuterFrance
Bardehle PagenbergGermany
Barker BrettellUnited Kingdom
Barzanò & ZanardoItaly
Beck GreenerUnited Kingdom
Becker & AssociésFrance
Betten & ReschGermany 
Bird & BirdUnited Kingdom
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom
BrannSweden
Braun-Dullaeus Pannen EmmerlingGermany
Breuer Friedrich HahnerGermany
BrinkhofNetherlands
Buzzi, Notaro & Antonielli d'OulxItaly
Cabinet Beau de LoménieFrance
Carpmaels & RansfordUnited Kingdom
CasalongaFrance
CMSUnited Kingdom
Cohausz & FlorackGermany
COPADenmark
De Clercq & PartnersBelgium
De Vries & MetmanNetherlands
DehnsUnited Kingdom
df-mpGermany
dompatentGermany 
DREISS PatentanwälteGermany 
DTSGermany
EGYPFrance 
EIPUnited Kingdom
Eisenführ SpeiserGermany
Elkington + FifeUnited Kingdom
EP&CNetherlands
Fleuchhaus & GalloGermany 
ForrestersUnited Kingdom
Freischem & PartnerGermany
Germain MaureauFrance
GeversBelgium
GJEUnited Kingdom
Glawe Delfs MollGermany 
GLPItaly
Graf von StoschGermany 
Greaves BrewsterUnited Kingdom
GrüneckerGermany
Guardian IP ConsultingDenmark 
H&ASpain
Hamm & WittkoppGermany
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway
Hanna Moore + CurleyIreland
Haseltine Lake KempnerUnited Kingdom
HEPPSwitzerland
Herzog IPGermany
HGFUnited Kingdom
Hoefer & PartnerGermany 
Hoffmann EitleGermany
Hogan LovellsUnited Kingdom
Høiberg Denmark
Hoyng Rokh MonegierNetherlands 
HS&PGermany
InspicosDenmark
isarpatentGermany 
Isenbruck Bösl HörschlerGermany
Isler & PedrazziniSwitzerland
J A KempUnited Kingdom
J. Pereira da CruzPortugal
Jacobacci & PartnersItaly
K2United Kingdom
Keil & SchaafhausenGermany
Keller & PartnerSwitzerland
KeltieUnited Kingdom
Kilburn & StrodeUnited Kingdom
Kohler Schmid MöbusGermany 
König Szynka Tilmann von RenesseGermany
Kransell & WennborgSweden
Kraus & WeisertGermany 
Kroher StrobelGermany 
Kuhnen & WackerGermany
Latscha Schöllhorn PartnerSwitzerland
LavoixFrance
Lederer & KellerGermany 
LLP Law PatentGermany 
LLRFrance
Lorenz Seidler GosselGermany 
Maikowski & NinnemannGermany
MaiwaldGermany
Manitz FinsterwaldGermany
Marks & ClerkUnited Kingdom
Mathys & SquireUnited Kingdom
Maucher JenkinsUnited Kingdom
Meissner BolteGermany
Mewburn EllisUnited Kingdom
MHP - Müller, Hoffmann & Partner Germany
Michalski · HüttermannGermany 
MitscherlichGermany
Müller Schupfner & PartnerGermany
Müller-Boré & PartnerGermany 
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom
NLONetherlands
OnsagersNorway
Page White and FarrerUnited Kingdom
PatentreePortugal
Plasseraud IPFrance
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom
Prinz & PartnerGermany
Prüfer & PartnerGermany 
Puchberger & PartnerAustria
Reddie & GroseUnited Kingdom
RegimbeauFrance
Reitstötter KinzebachGermany 
Rentsch PartnerSwitzerland
Ruff, Wilhelm, Beier, Dauster & PartnerGermany 
Sagittarius IPUnited Kingdom
Samson & PartnerGermany
SantarelliFrance
Schaad Balass Menzl & PartnerSwitzerland
SchlichUnited Kingdom
Schweiger & PartnersGermany
Simmons & SimmonsUnited Kingdom
Slingsby PartnersUnited Kingdom
Società Italiana BrevettiItaly
Somerville AssociatesUnited Kingdom
Stolmár & PartnerGermany
Ström & GullikssonSweden
Studio TortaItaly
Swindell & PearsonUnited Kingdom
Ter Meer Steinmeister & PartnerGermany
TomkinsIreland
UDLUnited Kingdom
Uexküll & StolbergGermany
V.O. - Patents & TrademarksNetherlands 
ValeaSweden
Venner ShipleyUnited Kingdom
Viering, Jentschura & PartnerGermany
Vossius & PartnerGermany
Wallinger Ricker Schlotter TostmannGermany
Weickmann & WeickmannGermany
Westphal, Mussgnug & PartnerGermany
Wilson GunnUnited Kingdom
Withers & RogersUnited Kingdom
WitteWellerGermany
WTSPoland
Wuesthoff & WuesthoffGermany 
Wynne-JonesUnited Kingdom
D Young & CoUnited Kingdom
ZaccoDenmark
ZBM PatentsSpain 
Zimmermann & PartnerGermany
Materials & Nanotechnology
Patent Law FirmCountry of OriginRating
AWASweden1 Gold
GJEUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway1 Gold
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Prinz & PartnerGermany1 Gold
Schweiger & PartnersGermany1 Gold
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain2 Silver
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Germain MaureauFrance2 Silver
Hoffmann EitleGermany2 Silver
KeltieUnited Kingdom2 Silver
AOMBNetherlands 3 Bronze
Bardehle PagenbergGermany3 Bronze
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany3 Bronze
Carpmaels & RansfordUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
GrüneckerGermany3 Bronze
HGFUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
J. Pereira da CruzPortugal3 Bronze
Plasseraud IPFrance3 Bronze
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Vossius & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals
Patent Law FirmCountry of OriginRating
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain1 Gold
Carpmaels & RansfordUnited Kingdom1 Gold
GJEUnited Kingdom1 Gold
HGFUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Hoffmann EitleGermany1 Gold
Kilburn & StrodeUnited Kingdom1 Gold
MaiwaldGermany1 Gold
PatentreePortugal1 Gold
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Vossius & PartnerGermany1 Gold
AWASweden2 Silver
Bird & BirdUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Elkington + FifeUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Germain MaureauFrance2 Silver
GrüneckerGermany2 Silver
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway2 Silver
InspicosDenmark2 Silver
J A KempUnited Kingdom2 Silver
König Szynka Tilmann von RenesseGermany2 Silver
Mewburn EllisUnited Kingdom2 Silver
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Plasseraud IPFrance2 Silver
Prinz & PartnerGermany2 Silver
Sagittarius IPUnited Kingdom2 Silver
V.O. - Patents & TrademarksNetherlands 2 Silver
Wynne-JonesUnited Kingdom2 Silver
D Young & CoUnited Kingdom2 Silver
aeraDenmark3 Bronze
AOMBNetherlands 3 Bronze
BalderSpain 3 Bronze
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany3 Bronze
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Cabinet Beau de LoménieFrance3 Bronze
CMSUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
COPADenmark3 Bronze
De Clercq & PartnersBelgium3 Bronze
df-mpGermany3 Bronze
EIPUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Eisenführ SpeiserGermany3 Bronze
H&ASpain3 Bronze
Hamm & WittkoppGermany3 Bronze
Hoyng Rokh MonegierNetherlands 3 Bronze
Isenbruck Bösl HörschlerGermany3 Bronze
KeltieUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Lederer & KellerGermany 3 Bronze
Marks & ClerkUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Mathys & SquireUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
NLONetherlands3 Bronze
RegimbeauFrance3 Bronze
Reitstötter KinzebachGermany 3 Bronze
Simmons & SimmonsUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Ter Meer Steinmeister & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
Uexküll & StolbergGermany3 Bronze
ZaccoDenmark3 Bronze
ZBM PatentsSpain 3 Bronze
Mechanical Engineering
Patent Law FirmCountry of OriginRating
Bardehle PagenbergGermany1 Gold
EIPUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Eisenführ SpeiserGermany1 Gold
GJEUnited Kingdom1 Gold
GrüneckerGermany1 Gold
Hoffmann EitleGermany1 Gold
KeltieUnited Kingdom1 Gold
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom1 Gold
PatentreePortugal1 Gold
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Prinz & PartnerGermany1 Gold
Schweiger & PartnersGermany1 Gold
AWASweden2 Silver
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany2 Silver
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Germain MaureauFrance2 Silver
H&ASpain2 Silver
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway2 Silver
Haseltine Lake KempnerUnited Kingdom2 Silver
HGFUnited Kingdom2 Silver
InspicosDenmark2 Silver
J A KempUnited Kingdom2 Silver
K2United Kingdom2 Silver
Kilburn & StrodeUnited Kingdom2 Silver
LavoixFrance2 Silver
Manitz FinsterwaldGermany2 Silver
Meissner BolteGermany2 Silver
Plasseraud IPFrance2 Silver
Reddie & GroseUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Wynne-JonesUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Abel & ImrayUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain3 Bronze
AOMBNetherlands 3 Bronze
Barker BrettellUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Carpmaels & RansfordUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
DehnsUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
DTSGermany3 Bronze
Elkington + FifeUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Freischem & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
Hoyng Rokh MonegierNetherlands 3 Bronze
HS&PGermany3 Bronze
J. Pereira da CruzPortugal3 Bronze
Jacobacci & PartnersItaly3 Bronze
Keil & SchaafhausenGermany3 Bronze
Lorenz Seidler GosselGermany 3 Bronze
Maikowski & NinnemannGermany3 Bronze
Marks & ClerkUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
MitscherlichGermany3 Bronze
Puchberger & PartnerAustria3 Bronze
RegimbeauFrance3 Bronze
Ruff, Wilhelm, Beier, Dauster & PartnerGermany 3 Bronze
Società Italiana BrevettiItaly3 Bronze
V.O. - Patents & TrademarksNetherlands 3 Bronze
Venner ShipleyUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Vossius & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
Weickmann & WeickmannGermany3 Bronze
Withers & RogersUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
ZaccoDenmark3 Bronze
Biotechnology & Food
Patent Law FirmCountry of OriginRating
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Carpmaels & RansfordUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Hoffmann EitleGermany1 Gold
J A KempUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Mewburn EllisUnited Kingdom1 Gold
PatentreePortugal1 Gold
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Vossius & PartnerGermany1 Gold
D Young & CoUnited Kingdom1 Gold
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain2 Silver
CMSUnited Kingdom2 Silver
De Clercq & PartnersBelgium2 Silver
df-mpGermany2 Silver
GJEUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway2 Silver
HGFUnited Kingdom2 Silver
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Plasseraud IPFrance2 Silver
Prinz & PartnerGermany2 Silver
Schweiger & PartnersGermany2 Silver
Wynne-JonesUnited Kingdom2 Silver
aeraDenmark3 Bronze
Allen & OveryUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
AOMBNetherlands 3 Bronze
AWASweden3 Bronze
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany3 Bronze
EGYPFrance 3 Bronze
EIPUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Elkington + FifeUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Germain MaureauFrance3 Bronze
Greaves BrewsterUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
GrüneckerGermany3 Bronze
H&ASpain3 Bronze
Høiberg Denmark3 Bronze
InspicosDenmark3 Bronze
KeltieUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Kilburn & StrodeUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
König Szynka Tilmann von RenesseGermany3 Bronze
MaiwaldGermany3 Bronze
NLONetherlands3 Bronze
RegimbeauFrance3 Bronze
V.O. - Patents & TrademarksNetherlands 3 Bronze
Electrical Engineering
Patent Law FirmCountry of OriginRating
AWASweden1 Gold
Bardehle PagenbergGermany1 Gold
EIPUnited Kingdom1 Gold
GJEUnited Kingdom1 Gold
HGFUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Hoffmann EitleGermany1 Gold
KeltieUnited Kingdom1 Gold
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom1 Gold
PatentreePortugal1 Gold
Prinz & PartnerGermany1 Gold
Schweiger & PartnersGermany1 Gold
Wynne-JonesUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany2 Silver
Cohausz & FlorackGermany2 Silver
df-mpGermany2 Silver
Eisenführ SpeiserGermany2 Silver
Germain MaureauFrance2 Silver
GrüneckerGermany2 Silver
H&ASpain2 Silver
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway2 Silver
K2United Kingdom2 Silver
Kilburn & StrodeUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Maikowski & NinnemannGermany2 Silver
Meissner BolteGermany2 Silver
Plasseraud IPFrance2 Silver
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Reddie & GroseUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Samson & PartnerGermany2 Silver
Vossius & PartnerGermany2 Silver
Withers & RogersUnited Kingdom2 Silver
ZaccoDenmark2 Silver
2SPLGermany3 Bronze
Abel & ImrayUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain3 Bronze
AOMBNetherlands 3 Bronze
BalderSpain 3 Bronze
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Braun-Dullaeus Pannen EmmerlingGermany3 Bronze
Cabinet Beau de LoménieFrance3 Bronze
DehnsUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
DTSGermany3 Bronze
Haseltine Lake KempnerUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
InspicosDenmark3 Bronze
J A KempUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
LavoixFrance3 Bronze
MaiwaldGermany3 Bronze
Marks & ClerkUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Mathys & SquireUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
MHP - Müller, Hoffmann & Partner Germany3 Bronze
Page White and FarrerUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
RegimbeauFrance3 Bronze
Slingsby PartnersUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Studio TortaItaly3 Bronze
TomkinsIreland3 Bronze
Viering, Jentschura & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
Westphal, Mussgnug & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
WitteWellerGermany3 Bronze
ZBM PatentsSpain 3 Bronze
Zimmermann & PartnerGermany3 Bronze
IT & Software
Patent Law FirmCountry of OriginRating
AWASweden1 Gold
Bardehle PagenbergGermany1 Gold
EIPUnited Kingdom1 Gold
GJEUnited Kingdom1 Gold
Hoffmann EitleGermany1 Gold
KeltieUnited Kingdom1 Gold
PatentreePortugal1 Gold
Schweiger & PartnersGermany1 Gold
ABG Intellectual PropertySpain2 Silver
Boehmert & BoehmertGermany2 Silver
H&ASpain2 Silver
Håmsø Patentbyrå Norway2 Silver
Haseltine Lake KempnerUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Kilburn & StrodeUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Kransell & WennborgSweden2 Silver
MurgitroydUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Plasseraud IPFrance2 Silver
Potter ClarksonUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Prinz & PartnerGermany2 Silver
Samson & PartnerGermany2 Silver
Withers & RogersUnited Kingdom2 Silver
Wynne-JonesUnited Kingdom2 Silver
2SPLGermany3 Bronze
AOMBNetherlands 3 Bronze
Boult Wade TennantUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Cohausz & FlorackGermany3 Bronze
df-mpGermany3 Bronze
Eisenführ SpeiserGermany3 Bronze
Germain MaureauFrance3 Bronze
Hogan LovellsUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
J. Pereira da CruzPortugal3 Bronze
LavoixFrance3 Bronze
Maikowski & NinnemannGermany3 Bronze
Marks & ClerkUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
Meissner BolteGermany3 Bronze
Reddie & GroseUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
RegimbeauFrance3 Bronze
Simmons & SimmonsUnited Kingdom3 Bronze
ZaccoDenmark3 Bronze
ZBM PatentsSpain 3 Bronze
Leading Patent Law Firms - numbers of awards per country of origin
Country of OriginNumbers of awards
Austria1
Belgium2
Denmark6
France12
Germany60
Ireland2
Italy6
Netherlands 8
Norway2
Poland1
Portugal2
Spain4
Sweden5
Switzerland6
United Kingdom43
Top Firms by Medals
Name of Law FirmTotal awardsGoldSilverBronze
GJE6510
Hoffmann Eitle6510
Murgitroyd6330
Prinz & Partner6330
Potter Clarkson6321
AWA6321
Keltie6312
Håmsø Patentbyrå 6150
ABG Intellectual Property6132
Boult Wade Tennant6123
Plasseraud IP6051
Germain Maureau6042
Boehmert & Boehmert6033
AOMB6006
Patentree5500
Schweiger & Partners5410
EIP5302
HGF5221
Vossius & Partner5212
Wynne-Jones5140
Kilburn & Strode5131
Grünecker5122
H&A5032
Regimbeau5005

Methodology

Signing agreement
© Getty

Survey and sample

The list of Europe’s leading firms for services around patent prosecution and patent strategy consultation is based on recommendations made by clients and peers.

Survey participants could recommend firms both in general and by specialities, categorised into six sectors. More than 10,000 patent attorneys working in patent law firms or in the patent departments of companies, as well as clients, were directly invited to take part in the survey.

The sample was collected via research conducted by Statista on relevant company websites, in publications and from the EPI (the Institute of Professional Representatives Before the European Patent Office), the professional body representing European patent attorneys. The invitations were sent by email with a personalised link that could be used only once.

Patent attorneys and clients who did not receive an individual survey invitation could participate via a link published on FT.com. In such cases, their eligibility was checked before the recommendations were considered.

The survey was conducted between February 4 and March 16 2020. In total,
the recommendations of more than 2,900 clients and peers were considered. Self-recommendations were prohibited and thus not considered.

Top lists

In total, 160 recommended firms offering the services of patent attorneys feature in the overall list. Firms that were recommended for their services in a particular sector have been included in the respective sector lists.

They were ranked in three classes: 1 gold (very frequently recommended); 2 silver (frequently recommended) and; 3 bronze (recommended).

All lists were created through an extensive process of research. However, the quality of firms that are not included in these tables is not disputed.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
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