AIPF: Better for boutiques
While we are still only four months into 2020, it is clear that this year will be like no other in the last decade for the world economy and for IP firms generally. As such, it has probably never been more important than now to have an association such as the Association of Intellectual Property Firms (AIPF).
The AIPF is an international association of independent specialty firms that devote a majority of their practice to IP law. It is dedicated first to supporting the unique needs of the boutique IP firm to better serve clients by providing resources not generally available anywhere else, and second to providing a forum for international collaboration.
Its vision is to be the primary resource IP boutiques around the world trust for support and insight on all issues pertaining to their unique practice. A somewhat unusual feature is that the firms are the members, and anyone employed by the firms can be involved in the association. This is in contrast to other associations where membership is based on the qualifications or position held by an individual.
Historically, the AIPF was established in response to the identified need to have an association that represented IP specialist firms and to deliver content and practice information that supported the business model of such firms in comparison to that available to bigger general law firms.
While the competition from big general law firms remains, the IP specialist firm has probably never been in a better position than now to meet the needs of clients in this field. While this is good news, challenges remain—and not just those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges are quite obvious and include:
