China’s top trademark lawyers and law firms recognised in WIPR rankings

Amid an evolving legal framework and shifting demands from increasingly global Chinese enterprises, the law firms and practitioners in WIPR’s China Trademark Rankings 2026 are this year’s go-to advisors for brand-related legal matters in the country.

Newly-released rankings from WIPR identify the top law firms and professionals for trademark matters in China’s dynamic market, encompassing everything from prosecution and portfolio management to litigation and licensing.

With fewer international law firms now operating trademark practices in China, the WIPR China International Trademark Rankings highlight those succeeding against the backdrop of an evolving legal framework, intensified competition from domestic law firms, and geopolitical tensions.

Separate rankings feature the leading PRC firms, which continue to be chosen by clients for their increasing sophistication, deep judicial insight, and end-to-end litigation capability.

The rankings cover Mainland China and Hong Kong, and recognise the specialist expertise required for different facets of trademark work with Non-Contentious and Contentious tables.

This year, the market reported a significant uptick in outbound mandates from Chinese enterprises expanding globally.

As well as managing cross-border IP portfolios and trademark filings, law firms are helping Chinese companies protect their brands against bad-faith trademark squatters in overseas markets, as well as defending them against infringement lawsuits filed by established local competitors in European and US courts.

At the same time, China’s trademark regime is evolving, with the latest iteration of the Trademark Law taking effect on January 1, 2027. The reforms place greater emphasis on genuine commercial use and seek to curb bad-faith applications and filings that exceed normal business needs, encouraging corporate brand owners to adopt more targeted, commercially-justified trademark portfolios.

Leading brands and global mandates

This year’s top law firms and individuals for non-contentious trademark services showed deep knowledge in the intricacies of China’s changing trademark law; received positive market feedback; and advised high-profile clients on significant portfolios.

Leading PRC firms in 2026 include Chang Tsi & Partners, recommended by an international referral partner as being “very good at understanding our clients’ needs and very responsive”. Household-name brands including 3M, Baidu, LEDO and Cadbury have used the firm’s trademark services.

Those taking on more outbound trademark work as China’s homegrown giants seek IP protection in foreign jurisdictions include China PAT Intellectual Property Office; the firm is also adapting to the shifting legal landscape by educating its clients about making use of, and enforcing, their trademark rights.

In the top tier of international law firms, Rouse has a huge volume of trademarks under its management, supporting clients from its offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Via its strategic partnership with PRC firm Lusheng, Rouse provides comprehensive brand protection support to a mix of highly recognisable foreign and domestic clients.

Non-contentious work highlights for Kilpatrick include leading the trademark prosecution and enforcement programme for Costco, the third-largest retailer in the world, in Greater China.

Disputes heavyweights

Without court rights of audience, the international law firms in this year’s Contentious category rely on effective partnerships with local firms to handle trademark disputes in China.

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has earned the respect of its peers for its involvement in high-profile cases before China’s courts, enabled by its collaboration with Fujian Fidelity.

Bird & Bird—which works with Lawjay Partners—advised German pharmaceutical company Merck on the biggest trademark and unfair competition claim it has filed in China, against US company Merck Sharp & Dohme.

Retaining its spot in the top tier of PRC firms for 2026, Wanhuida Intellectual Property handled three cases out of the Beijing Trademark Association’s latest Top 10 Trademark Litigation Cases and Top 10 Trademark Non-litigation Cases, including one for US retailer Victoria’s Secret.

With a contentious practice growing in strength, GEN Law Firm received a higher ranking this year; the firm is taking on more cross-border and integrated brand protection work, particularly high-value infringement cases.

The firm’s work highlights include successfully representing multinational building materials company Owens Corning as the plaintiff in trademark infringement proceedings, and acting for Lenzing, a globally known manufacturer of wood-based cellulose fibres, in a case that involving proving that its ‘Tencel’ trademark was a source identifier for Lenzing’s goods and not a generic term.

Individual talent

In a highly competitive market for talent, there were some notable moves this year that impacted on law firms’ places in the rankings.

Experienced trio Loke-Khoon Tan, Maria Joannides Smith and Dominic Edmondson left Baker McKenzie to join Dentons in May 2026.

Tan brings a new prestige to the firm’s IP team in Hong Kong, where he now heads up the IP & Technology practice. He is among those recognised in this year’s Hall of Fame—reserved for practitioners with distinguished careers who now play key advisory roles on client matters—for his eminence in the IP profession, and representation of major brands and multinational corporations.

Top lawyers for 2026 include Scott Palmer, who joined Loeb & Loeb from Perkins Coie in 2024 and is described by a peer as “a very experienced attorney who has been acknowledged as one of the best”.

This investment in its team has contributed to Loeb & Loeb entering the China International Trademark Rankings for the first time this year. Palmer and the team have handled a number of high-profile administrative and civil litigation matters for major clients, securing favourable outcomes in China to protect key brands that are recognised across the world.

Next on the WIPR Rankings schedule is the China Patent Rankings 2026, followed by the US Rankings to close out the year.

The 2027 calendar begins with focus on trade secrets across China, the US and globally; for more information, and to be considered for inclusion, please contact Rankings editor Baron Armah-Kwantreng at barmah-kwantreng@newtonmedia.co.uk.

Did you enjoy reading this story? Our free newsletters send stories like this straight to your inbox