WIPR launches newly revised Leaders 2026 list

The global IP community’s movers and shakers of the year are revealed, in a list that spans 80 countries and six continents.

WIPR Rankings has released the freshly updated WIPR Leaders for 2026.

Spanning 80 countries and six continents, this year’s list celebrates the individuals and firms who aren’t just practising law, but shaping the future of intellectual property.

“Inclusion in WIPR Leaders is the gateway to a trusted global community of quality IP lawyers. Entry to this community is based on peer-to-peer recognition—the gold standard of credible rankings—alongside the Rankings team’s assessment of each lawyer’s credentials,” said Baron Armah-Kwantreng, WIPR Rankings editor.

“Every name on this list carries the hard-earned endorsement of the global IP community, vetted for their expertise in patents, trademarks, copyright and beyond.”

WIPR Leaders, now in its eleventh year, is now a dynamic, 12-month programme, which is reviewed year-round to ensure the directory reflects the industry’s top talent in real-time.

This builds on a new approach to Leaders which began in 2025, when the WIPR research team introduced a more rigorous process, incorporating in-depth surveys, firm submissions, referee feedback, and interviews.

Recommendations lead to results

Armah-Kwantreng highlights how crucial the Leaders list is for creating meaningful working relationships.

Recalling how he had, upon request, recommended one US lawyer to another, he said: “I caught up with the US lawyer recently and discovered that the meeting had turned into a working relationship—they are now on their third piece of work together and the client is delighted.

“This is why Leaders exists.”

How Leaders is collated

The Leaders research process involves collating a mass of information from respondents. The team organises those responses into different categories, or ‘buckets’.

These buckets are:

Survey Results: Members of WIPR’s database are invited to respond to a questionnaire to recommend themselves, a firm colleague or a peer at another firm.

Firm Responses: Firms that have identified their leading individuals for review.

Research Individuals: Independent research on potential members of Leaders conducted by the Rankings team.

WIPR Rankings 2025 Individuals: Ranked individuals from the 2025 round of private practice research are included in Leaders. We want to continually improve Leaders and we are particularly keen to showcase the best lawyers from each firm.

Each country list is intended to represent the brightest and best IP talent on offer.

If you would like to help shape the development of your Leaders country list, contact Baron Armah-Kwantreng at barmah-kwantreng@worldipreview.com to arrange a research interview.

Explore the full WIPR Leaders 2026 directory, as well as WIPR’s broader Rankings products.

These include the brand-new Global In-House Elite 2026, launched this year, which identifies the leading corporate IP professionals from around the world who demonstrate exceptional ability in managing their company’s IP portfolio, legal team, and culture of IP.

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