The Legal 500

A ‘standout firm’, Anand and Anand’s substantial team handles contentious and non-contentious work across trade marks, patents, copyright and industrial design. Clients include several multinational and Indian companies across a broad range of industries. Managing partner Pravin Anand is recognised for his depth of expertise in the area.

Dedicated IP firm Remfry & Sagar is praised for its ‘business acumen, industry knowledge and good technical advice’, and has a formidable reputation in the market. The firm has built up an impressive clientele, which includes longstanding relationships with high-profile companies such as Sony, Honeywell and Qualcomm, and has gained a number of new clients in the trade mark and patent spheres in 2012. ‘Accessible’ managing partner Ashwin Julka is recommended.

With five offices across India, IP boutique D P Ahuja & Co has a national reach and represents a large client portfolio of both domestic and international clients. The firm has a full-service approach, but also specialises in patent and trade mark prosecution and litigation.

IP boutique K & S Partners is an affiliate of J Sagar Associates and handles all areas of IP rights, including patents, trade marks, copyrights, designs, and trade secrets. DC Gabriel specialises in filing, prosecution and enforcement of patents and designs in India and abroad.

Lall & Sethi Advocates has an excellent reputation for its contentious and non-contentious trade mark work, and is known for its anti-piracy work for Hollywood and Bollywood clients. Past work includes representing Kraft Foods in a suit against Britannia Food Ingredients regarding copyright violations of the Oreo cookies brand. The well-respected Chander Lall is a ‘prominent litigator’.

The ‘very strong’ Saikrishna & Associates is best known for its copyright practice, with the software sector a particular specialism. Saikrishna Rajagopal is principal partner in New Delhi, and the team has recently been boosted with the recruitment of Ameet Datta from Luthra & Luthra. Datta will focus on the media and entertainment and technology sectors.

AZB & Partners has a ‘good general IP practice’ that handles a broad array of work for its impressive corporate client. Highlights included advising Cobra Beer on trade mark matters in India. New Delhi-based Akhilesh Rai heads the team.

Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co provides standalone IP advice to clients, and also handles the IP issues of large transactions. Clients include Rolex SA, Gemalto Terminals and Federal Express Corporation. Ranjan Negi and Dev Robinson are the key partners.

Recognised for its contentious IP work, Amarjit & Associates also handles a number of cases in the developing area of cyber law. Amarjit Singh is particularly strong in trade mark and copyright litigation.

Chadha & Chadha is ‘one of the few firms in India to appreciate the need for responsive and communicative levels of service.’ The firm has a ‘good knowledge of the IP system in India’, and handles a burgeoning client portfolio on patent and trade mark litigation, and portfolio management. Clients include Samsung Electronics, Olympus and Honda Motor Company. Name partner Chetan Chadha is recommended.

One of the oldest IP firms in the market, De Penning & De Penning has near-unparalleled experience in the market, and offers a comprehensive service across IP law. The New Delhi office is particularly strong in trade mark litigation.

‘Excellent’ full-service firm Luthra & Luthra has a considerable IP practice that handles both contentious and non-contentious IP work for its broad corporate client base. Although the firm lost Ameet Datta to Saikrishna & Associates, it still fields a wealth of experience in the ‘knowledgeable’ Gayatri Roy. Subramaniam Nataraj & Associates provides a comprehensive IP service, with a particular strength in filing, prosecution and registration of patents, trade marks, industrial designs and copyrights. Hari Subramaniam is recommended.

Boutique firm Akash Chittranshi & Associates has developed a strong reputation for copyright work in the publishing sector.

Bhasin & Co’s primary strength in dispute resolution extends to IP litigation, particularly regarding trade marks for international clients.

Spanning the gamut of IP matters, DSK Legal’s practice benefits from close-knit IP and information technology teams to facilitate a strength in technology and cyber law.

Jafa & Javali advises foreign corporates on IP management in India. The retail sector has been particularly active, with 2012 seeing the firm advise Three Clothing, an Indian company launched by well-known fashion designer Manish Arora, on its design registration applications in India.

Khaitan & Co.’s New Delhi base handles contentious IP matters. Ajay Bhargava is a key partner in this area and recently acted for G’Five International (manufacturer of mobile phone handsets) in Delhi and Chennai in relation to various IP-related matters. Sanjeev Kapoor, a partner in the litigation department, has also gained significant experience in IP matters.

Boutique IP firm Khurana & Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorneys covers the gamut of IP matters, with particular strength on the patent side. The firm handles patent filing and prosecution for an extensive client base.

Kochhar & Co handles a steady flow of IP matters for its predominantly international client base. Recent highlights include advising Skype on its dispute with BSkyB concerning its ‘Skype’ trade mark and BSkyB’s ‘Sky’ trade mark. The firm also successfully represented Emirates in a domain name dispute against a third party. Tarvinder Singh is the name to note.

Boutique IP firm Mason & Associates is headed by former Anand and Anand partner Neel Mason, who is best known for his litigation skills. The firm focuses on trade mark and copyright matters across the entertainment and publishing industries.

Full-service firm O.P. Khaitan & Co. Solicitors and Advocates handles IP matters for its corporate client base. Bharti Badesra and Roopa Dayal are recommended.

Established in 2007 as an IP boutique, Obhan & Associates is expanding its offering to include corporate advice. The firm represents a significant number of domestic clients and a growing international client base, and developed particular expertise in the engineering and software industries.

Niche technology firm Pavan Duggal Associates Advocates’ IP practice focuses on emerging technologies and their relationship with existing IT law. Pavan Duggal is an expert on cyber law and e-commerce law.

A relatively new firm, SKS Law Associates handles the gamut of IP matters, and is recognised for its capabilities in patent prosecution. Advocate and patent agent Sunita Sreedharan has been involved in the drafting of various parliamentary bills regarding protection of various intellectual properties.

Rahul Goel heads the IP practice at Seth Dua & Associates, which advises and represents the firm’s corporate clients on non-contentious and contentious IP matters. Recent work includes representing Usha Shriram Enterprises in its pending litigation regarding the protection of various trade marks, and assisting in the drafting of pleadings before the various High Courts.

Singh & Singh, Advocates is predominantly known for its contentious IP work. The ‘very good’ Prathiba Singh handles the full range of IP litigation, with a specialism in entertainment and database protection, unfair competition actions, and internet disputes.

IP is a core component of Titus & Co’s practice. It handles registration and enforcement matters for clients, and has developed particular expertise within food law. The firm’s dispute resolution expertise also extends to IP matters.

Krishna & Saurastri’s ‘excellent’ team is a ‘leader in the Mumbai market’. It advises multinational corporations, domestic companies, entrepreneurs and individuals in patent, trade mark, licensing, and technology matters. Sunil Krishna is known for his trade mark disputes and prosecution expertise, and in the management of IP portfolios, licensing matters, and joint ventures.

Jehangir Gulabbhai & Bilimoria & Daruwalla’s three-partner team has a strong profile in the Mumbai IP market, and advises on trade marks, patents, copyrights and industrial design matters.

Khaitan & Co. ‘deals effectively with patent authorities and patent examiners’. It acted for G’Five International on various patent litigation matters, and for Saregama India in a version recording copyright case. Patent specialist Jose Madan is praised for his ‘great depth of knowledge’ and ‘willingness to fight his client’s corner’.

W.S. Kane and Co/Law & Prudence is ‘highly effective’ in IP disputes, and acts for clients including Serum Institute of India, Ajanta Pharma, Nemat Enterprises and United Biotech. Himanshu Kane is a ‘force to be reckoned with’.

Crawford Bayley & Co’s expertise covers copyright and design, patents, trade marks, licensing, and IP protection.

DSK Legal’s clients include Blue Dart Express, Synergy Media and Entertainment, and Music Broadcast. It acts on the full range of matters, including the registration of trade marks, management of IP portfolios, brand audits, and litigation.

Gandhi & Associates is active in protection, licensing and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and is known for the expertise of Vishal Gandhi.

Majmudar & Partners handles trade mark and patent filings, and also IP litigation. It advised Banner and Witcoff on patent filing matters, and Wockhardt on trade mark infringement matters, as well as a passing-off claim filed by Centaur Pharmaceuticals. Akil Hirani is recommended.

Nishith Desai Associates’ Milind Antani is recommended for his expertise in pharmaceutical, healthcare and other life sciences matters.

AZB & Partners handles a range of IP issues, including filings, portfolio management, and pharmaceutical-related matters. Zia Mody is recommended.

DH Law Associates has an ‘excellent’ team, which handles registrations, oppositions, and renewal of intellectual property rights for pharmaceutical company Wanbury. It also represents media and entertainment companies including Sahara, Foot Candles, Orion PR and other companies such as JSW Steel and Ispat.

De Penning & De Penning advises on matters including trade marks, copyright, design, and patents.

Gagrats’ ‘strong’ team represented Jet Airways in patent infringement proceedings, and advised Kirloskar Proprietary on the licensing of its trade marks in India and overseas.

JBSS & Co advised Vinoot Herbals on the registration of trade marks, as well as on licensing agreements, and acted for an automobile rental company on the assignment of its trade mark from promoters to the client. Amritha Ahuja is recommended.

Kochhar & Co advised Hawa Valves on its portfolio of trade mark, copyright and patent applications in India. It is also respected for its disputes work. Rupali Sharma is recommended.

MDP & Partners is recommended for IP disputes.

Solomon & Roy is a specialised IP boutique, with expertise in patent registration, industrial designs, trade marks, and copyright matters. It represented BMW in trade mark infringement matters, YAHOO India in various IP matters, and Digital Group in software infringement matters. Mahua Roy Chowdhury is recommended.

Vaish Associates is known for its work in patent matters.