AWA and AWA Asia shine in IAM Patent 1000 rankings

Leading industry publication IAM has released the 2019 edition of the IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals.

Below is summary of the rankings for AWA and AWA Asia by jurisdiction.

China

For the first time, AWA Asia has been ranked in the China foreign firms category and Xiaofan Chen maintains his recommended individual ranking for prosecution.

In the write-up for China foreign firms, IAM commented the following on AWA Asia’s practice:

Since setting up shop in China in 2015, Swedish IP consultancy AWA’s highly experienced bilingual and bicultural team has been flourishing. Led by brands specialist Ai-Leen Lim, an IP lawyer and strategist with over 20 years of experience, the firm’s growing Asian practice has adopted an East meets West approach to the services it offers – which include drafting, filing, infringement, advisory and pre-litigation strategy. Market-leading European and Asian companies are in good hands, given the firm’s extensive local expertise and proficiency in devising and executing practical, customised solutions. Chinese-qualified patent attorney Xiaofan Chen is the main man. He takes all forms of patent prosecution in his stride; his technical specialities are mechanical engineering, manufacturing and computer science.

Denmark

Maintains the highly recommended ranking for prosecution as does Eva Carlsson and Sidsel Hauge as recommended individuals for prosecution. For the first time, Mikkel Roed Trier joins Sidsel and Eva as a recommended individual for prosecution.

In the write-up for Denmark, IAM commented the following on AWA’s practice:

Patrons of AWA enjoy the best of both worlds: the Nordic IP outfit not only has an impressive critical mass internationally, but also nimbly leverages its bulk in Denmark through the formation of highly specialised practice groups capable of extracting maximum value from an original idea. The prosecution powerhouse is known throughout the land for the exquisite balance it has managed to strike between large filing numbers and meticulous quality. European patent attorney Sidsel Hauge heads up AWA’s Danish offices. Her ability to harvest valuable supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) in Denmark has endeared her to many key pharmaceutical players over the course of her career. Eva Carlsson is a technical all-rounder whose remit stretches from mechanical engineering to construction, medical and process technologies. “Eva is very structured and thorough – she sees details that other advisers would miss and has an extremely good sense of business strategy and communication.” Mikkel Roed Trier completes the triumvirate. His 15 years’ experience in drafting, prosecution, freedom-to-operate analysis and infringement support has prepared him perfectly for his presidency of the Danish Association of IP Attorneys.

Sweden

Maintains the highly recommended ranking for prosecution and bronze banding for litigation. Inga-Lill Andersson, Soren Giver, Mikael Henriksson, Urban Lind, Julia Mannesson, Niklas Mattsson and Mattias Pierrou all maintain their recommended individual ranking for prosecution. Peter Kenamets maintains his bronze recommended individual banding for litigation and for the first time Fredrik Lüning joins Peter in the same category.

In the write-up for Sweden, IAM commented the following on AWA’s practice:

AWA has many distinctions: it has 11 bureaux across Sweden and a team of more than 135 specialised attorneys, making it the largest IP firm in the country; it has a far-reaching international office network and a strong presence in Asia; and it is the only name found on both the prosecution and litigation tables in the IAM Patent 1000 Sweden section. On the prosecution side, the firm’s expertise encompasses a kaleidoscopic range of scientific and technical fields and is well balanced between the broader high-tech, mechanical, chemical and life sciences disciplines. On the left-hand side, check out Sören Giver, Urban Lind, Julia Mannesson and Mattias Pierrou if you want to procure patents and stake out a competitive market position via smart portfolio management. Giver serves as the lead relationship partner for several key clients – he puts his broad IP skill set and strategic insight at their disposal and seamlessly links them up with other relevant experts in the firm. Creating efficiencies, Lind covers a lot of ground for his telecoms, IT, dental technology and other clients – he guides prosecution efforts, gives opinions, conducts risks analyses, oversees due diligence projects and represents in EPO oppositions and appeals.

Cut from similar cloth, Mannesson is also versatile. She produces error-free, high-quality work cost-effectively for one of the world’s top construction companies and a global leader in aviation systems. Pierrou regularly takes to the podium to enlighten audiences on important developments in patent law. On the right-hand side, Niklas Mattsson, Inga-Lill Andersson and Mikael Henriksson are the names to commit to memory. Molecular biology ace Mattson is frequently called as an expert in court proceedings due to his technical dexterity; he is also a noted expert on supplementary protection certificates. Though no longer the formal chair of its life sciences group, Andersson remains very much a leader in the practice. She supplements her legal and scientific expertise with good business judgement. Medical biochemistry PhD Henriksson has in-house experience on his résumé and leverages it astutely to help his clients to address routine issues and major challenges. Anchoring the litigation practice, meanwhile, are Peter Kenamets and Fredrik Luning, both of whom garner excellent references from the market: “Peter is a highly experienced lawyer and dependable partner. He’s very detail-oriented and demonstrates an excellent comprehension of complex technical concepts.” “Fredrik thoroughly analyses matters while moving them forward efficiently. In tune with his clients, he understands their needs and objectives and provides excellent advice.”

The IAM Patent 1000 is regarded as the definitive ‘go-to’ resource for those seeking to identify world-class, private practice patent expertise. IAM undertook an exhaustive qualitative research project to identify outstanding firms and individuals across multiple jurisdictions.