China PRC Trademarks Rankings 2026

Overview:

In a crowded market of thousands of trademark agencies and IP law firms, some competing on ultra-low fees, leading Chinese firms distinguish themselves through integrated practices that align trademark prosecution and portfolio management with dispute and litigation strategy.

As the in-house legal teams at major Chinese corporations have matured to match the sophistication of those found at multinationals across the globe, their demands have evolved to prioritise commercial risk assessment, high success rates, and strategic portfolio management over low-cost filings.

Against this backdrop, WIPR’s China PRC Trademarks Rankings 2026 (Non-Contentious) identifies the top practices and professionals in Mainland China and Hong Kong across trademark prosecution, portfolio management, licensing and transactions.

These law firms compete with their resident international counterparts to direct multi-jurisdictional brand expansion and enforcement for Chinese companies with increasing global significance.

To compile the rankings, the WIPR Rankings team considered the quality and significance of trademark mandates; client feedback; and market reputation, as well as independent research.

Outstanding

Strategic advisors to some of the world’s biggest brands, this year’s Outstanding law firms and lawyers stood out in a competitive market for the calibre and volume of their non-contentious trademark matters.

“Their ability to navigate the intricacies of intellectual property law and devise innovative strategies is truly impressive,” says a peer of CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office. The firm is one of the most established and credible PRC firms for trademark prosecution and portfolio management, combining the scale and specialist resources to manage complex, high-volume portfolios for international brand owners.

Founded in 2002, Chang Tsi & Partners has emerged as a leading contender in China’s trademark market, challenging more established practices through its strong prosecution and enforcement capabilities. The firm is “very good at understanding our clients’ needs and very responsive”, says an international referral partner. Household-name brands including 3M, Baidu, LEGO and Cadbury have used the firm’s trademark services.

Another top-tier force in the market, King & Wood is among the best in China, according to an industry source. The firm’s separation from Mallesons is unlikely to materially affect its non-contentious trademark offering in China, given that its mainland practice and core IP capabilities remain intact; the loss of a unified China-Australia brand may complicate the cross-border proposition for some clients, although continued collaboration between the independent firms could mitigate this. The longer-term effect on market perception and client retention remains to be seen.

Also in the top tier, Unitalen Attorneys at Law leverages its significant resources to handle thousands of trademark registrations every year, which include basic applications to more unusual marks, while Wanhuida Intellectual Property is described by an international network contact as “reliable and efficient, and a pleasure to work with on cross-border matters”.

A prominent figure in China’s IP field, Wanhuida founding partner Bai Gang is among the individuals recognised as Outstanding this year for his prominence in China’s IP field and deep knowledge of trademark law. King & Wood partner Lin Jiuchu also makes the top tier for his extensive experience in China’s trademark law, and handling of a large number of trademark cases.

Hall of Fame recognition—reserved for those practitioners who may no longer be handling day-to-day client work but provide valuable perspectives to their teams from their decades of experience—goes to four distinguished Chinese lawyers this year.

They include Joe Simone, co-chairman of East IP and the founding partner of SIPs, part of the East IP Group since 2024. Extremely well versed in trademark and copyright matters, Simone is described by a peer as having “eminent practitioner status” in the trademark space—“an ideas guy”, who has led the charge for both domestic and foreign firms operating in China.

Highly Recommended

China PAT Intellectual Property Office performs “professionally, efficiently, responsively and cost effectively”, says one satisfied client. The firm is adapting to China’s evolving legal landscape by educating clients about making full use of, and enforcing, their trademark rights, and is taking on more outbound work as Chinese companies seek trademark protection in foreign jurisdictions.

“Han Kun has excellent transactional IP experience, is efficient, value for money, and has great commerciality.” International referral partner

Well respected for the quality of its corporate, transactional, and regulatory work, Han Kan Law Offices is also cited as a solid choice of China partner; an international referral client says the firm is “very responsive and easy to work with, excellent transactional IP experience, is efficient, value for money, and has great commerciality”. Han Kun’s work includes prosecution and strategy for a major Chinese technology company, and assisting a leading Chinese automotive business with filing hundreds of trademark applications in China as well as covering more than 50 jurisdictions around the world.

One of the top filers in China, East IP has a covetable client list—which includes Tencent, Heineken and Dell—and has recently been instructed to manage the high-volume trademark portfolios for two globally recognised brands.

Chofn IP—Highly Recommended last year for its contentious trademark services—enters the non-contentious category for 2026. The firm’s prosecution capability is indicated in its selection for trademark application filing by Huawei—one of the top five most valuable brands in China—and a UK referral source says the team is “very good at understanding our clients’ needs and very responsive”.

Notable individuals among this year’s Highly Recommended lawyers include China Pat Intellectual Property Office partner Jue (Jane) Li, who brings an in-house perspective to her leadership of the trademarks team having spent many years as the head of trademarks at a listed corporate group.

Recommended

This year’s Recommended tier includes a number of new law firm rankings, with an increasingly sophisticated pool of PRC firms vying for trademark work.

GEN Law Firm—ranked last year for its contentious capabilities but a new entrant on the non-contentious side—is making steady gains in trademark prosecution and transactional work, and seeing increasing demand for cross-border IP strategies that support clients in technology-driven and globally expanding industries.

Another new entrant, Lung Tin IP Attorneys has also been expanding its services from traditional trademark filing and litigation to more complex portfolio management, and has attracted numerous high-profile clients including Sanofi, Qualcomm, P&G, Koch Industries and LG. They are “accurate and reliable”, says a referral partner.

“Frank Liu’s advice is practical, commercially focused, and consistently effective in protecting and strengthening trademark rights.” Client feedback

A new law firm and individual ranking, Frank Liu leads the IP practice at Shanghai Pacific Legal, which combines its PRC law capabilities with the international platform at Norton Rose Fulbright thanks to an official collaboration. The firm is recommended by a major client, who speaks highly of Liu: “What distinguishes Frank is his ability to combine trademark prosecution, administrative and criminal enforcement actions, and civil litigation into a coordinated strategy tailored to business objectives. His advice is practical, commercially focused, and consistently effective in protecting and strengthening trademark rights.”

Reking Chen of Shanghai YaoWang Law Offices also enters the rankings for the first time; an international peer says he is “passionate about his work and possesses exceptionally clear logical thinking, earning the admiration of both clients and colleagues”.

Notable

In the Notable tier for 2026, China Sinda Intellectual Property “does great work for us”, says a US client. One of the earliest privately owned IP firms in the country, China Sinda has its roots in Beijing and now operates globally, with offices around the world and relationships with IP firms in more than 100 countries and regions.

Also with extensive global reach, Shanghai Patent & Trademark Law Office retains its Notable ranking this year; the firm has submitted over 90,000 trademark applications on behalf of its clients.

Overview:

WIPR’s China PRC Trademarks Rankings 2026 (Contentious) highlight the top local law firms and professionals across Mainland China and Hong Kong for contentious trademark matters, covering both administrative registry disputes and court litigation.

Clients continue to choose PRC law firms for their rights of audience in courts, deep judicial insight, and end-to-end litigation capability. As well as inbound mandates from international brands, this year’s ranked firms are taking on a rapidly growing volume of outbound trademark work for Chinese enterprises expanding globally.

The rankings identify the firms and individuals shaping China’s dynamic contentious trademark market: from complex administrative proceedings and high-value infringement suits to securing well-known trademark recognition for household-name brands. At the forefront are practitioners deploying increasingly integrated enforcement strategies, combining civil damages claims with criminal proceedings and digital e-commerce takedowns.

The WIPR Rankings team took account of factors including the significance of trademark cases in both administrative and court settings; success rates; client feedback; and market reputation.

This year’s research points to a broader approach among leading PRC law firms to brand protection, with firms increasingly deploying China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law, trade dress protection and other non-traditional IP claims to address clients’ more complex needs.

Outstanding

A leading trademark firm renowned for its contentious capability, Wanhuida Intellectual Property retains its spot in the highest tier for 2026. The firm handled three cases out of the Beijing Trademark Association’s latest Top 10 Trademark Litigation Cases and Top 10 Trademark Non-litigation Cases, in which it represented major Chinese automotive conglomerate Geely, US retailer Victoria’s Secret, and a GSK subsidiary. A US client endorses the firm, noting that they do “great work for us”.

CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office’s successful track record contributes to the firm’s continued Outstanding placement; a peer says the team led by Ling Zhao—a top-tier individual this year—“have handled numerous complex cases with ease, delivering favourable outcomes for their clients time and again”.

Also keeping their places in the Outstanding tier this year are established leaders King & Wood and Fangda Partners—which have shown “consistent presence in trademark litigation and portfolio management”, according to a peer—alongside Chang Tsi & Partners, a boutique IP specialist with a global outlook and numerous highly recognisable clients.

An independent firm since March 2026 after its split from Mallesons, King & Wood has a bench for contentious trademark matters that includes Outstanding-ranked He Fang, who co-leads the IP litigation team and has successfully advocated for a number of clients in high-profile and award-winning cases. Alexandra Yang is one of the top assets at Fangda Partners, recognised for both her patent and trademark litigation work and with a client base that includes Fortune 500 companies and leading technology companies.

The three senior practitioners in this year’s Hall of Fame are all veteran trademark specialists with distinguished contentious practices, who may no longer be leading on high-stakes mandates but continue to play a key advisory role within their respective law firms.

Highly Recommended

With an integrated approach, combining litigation, portfolio management, anti-counterfeiting and investigations, East IP remains a strong choice for both non-contentious and contentious trademark matters. This is evidenced by the team’s new—and ongoing—appointments to manage the China trademark portfolios of numerous globally recognised brands.

Recent highlights include securing one of China’s highest reported trademark damages awards in Treasury Wine Estates v RUSH RICH, and overcoming absolute grounds for refusal to allow Canadian Club to register a Chinese character mark for whisky products in China.

GEN Law Firm moves up a tier this year into Highly Recommended; the firm’s trademark practice is taking on more cross-border and integrated brand protection work, particularly high-value infringement cases. Notable representations include acting for Lenzing, a globally known manufacturer of wood-based cellulose fibres, as the plaintiff in trademark infringement litigation which involved proving that ‘Tencel’ was created by Lenzing and served as a source identifier for goods.

A Beijing-based partner at the firm, Steve Zhao specialises in complex litigation involving trademarks and other IP rights. Involved in a number of the firm’s significant trademark matters, Zhao is “recognised as a leading intellectual property litigation attorney in China”, says a peer.

Strategic partner to top-tier international firm Rouse, Lusheng Law Firm claims a civil litigation win rate of 97% and is also experienced in re-trials before the Supreme People’s Court. Favoured by some of the world’s most globally recognised brands, Lusheng scored victories for athletic footwear company New Balance and Amer Sports—home to the Arc’teryx, Salomon and Wilson outdoor/sports brands—in 2026.

This year’s Highly Recommended individuals include Tahota Law Firm partner Xiao Yuexin, who specialises in IP litigation and alternative dispute resolution. An industry counterpart notes her stellar client list, and comments: “With her solid background knowledge and rich experiences, she has helped clients to deal with thousands of non-litigation cases and over 500 litigation cases by providing professional legal services.”

Recommended

In the Recommended tier last year for its non-contentious trademark offering, Beijing Sanyou Intellectual Property Agency enters the contentious rankings for 2026. A fellow practitioner comments on the team’s professionalism, and it has secured a number of recent litigation successes—including triple punitive damages for SCT Chemicals and a distinctiveness appeal for Anker Innovations’ ‘Soundcore Glow’ trademark.

Also entering the contentious category this year, Lexfield Law Offices scored a win in a trademark invalidation case at the Beijing Intellectual Property Court earlier in 2026 and successfully represented a renowned artificial intelligence company in two administrative litigation cases, winning both the first and second instances.

“James Wang (Shanghai YaoWang Law Offices) is a highly meticulous, reliable, and responsible lawyer with extensive experience especially in administrative litigation and domain name disputes.” Market feedback

Lung Tin IP Attorneys continues to handle a significant volume of trademark litigation; notable matters include successfully opposing a trademark registration on behalf of Japanese multinational company Sumitomo Rubber Industries, one of the world’s leading tire and rubber product manufacturers, and successfully resolving a trademark dispute for major French pharma company Sanofi.

James Wang, a partner in the Dispute Resolution Team at Shanghai YaoWang Law Offices, receives his individual ranking for his representation of leading international brands—including Nestlé, Prada and Armani—and positive market feedback, with a peer describing him as a “highly meticulous, reliable, and responsible lawyer with extensive experience especially in administrative litigation and domain name disputes”.

Notable

A credible option for handling contentious trademark matters, Beijing-based GoldenGate Lawyers is particularly adept at managing complex commercial arbitration cases and IP infringement lawsuits.

Trademarks are also a core practice area at Yuanhe & Twelve Tables Law Firm, which has particular strengths in cross-border disputes and parallel litigation across multiple jurisdictions.

Watson & Band’s trademark litigation practice benefits from the expertise of senior partners Yizhou (Joe) Liu and Liming Zhang, both recognised as Notable this year; between them they have handled numerous cases selected as exemplary by the Supreme People’s Court, Shanghai and Beijing High People’s Courts, and China National Intellectual Property Administration.