World Trademark Review lauds Gowling WLG's global IP strength in 2018 edition of WTR 1000

30 January 2018

The World Trademark Review (WTR) has once again distinguished Gowling WLG among the world's foremost trademark firms in the 2018 edition of its annual guide, WTR 1000.

Notably, Gowling WLG was one of only 22 firms to earn listings across multiple jurisdictions. In its commentary, WTR 1000 remarks that "[o]nly one or two other firms have as wide a geographic spread of WTR 1000 rankings as Gowling WLG."

The guide goes on to add: "The firm's hard work integrating its international team has really paid dividends for multinational brand owners; if they want to know, for example, the best jurisdiction to pursue a particular course of action, Gowling WLG can provide the most sophisticated answer, because its people are not fighting for territory."

For the second year in a row, Gowling WLG was recognized as having leading domestic practices in Canada, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as a leading foreign practice in China.

Significantly, the firm achieved gold status in Canada (Trademark Firms) and Russia (Enforcement and Litigation; Prosecution and Strategy), and - for the first time - "highly recommended" status in the United Arab Emirates (Trademark Firms).

Further praise for Gowling WLG's individual country practices includes the following:

Canada

"Gowling WLG is an international behemoth with a top-class trademark team. Its lawyers provide friendly, efficient support that gets excellent results. A longstanding Canadian IP trailblazer … [Gowling WLG] is consistently the top filer of trademark applications in Canada year on year and represents a staggering number of the world's biggest names…"

China

"Gowling WLG has become a big name in China; in recent years it has been doing top-drawer trademark enforcement, filing and transactional work for blue-chip names. It delivers rock-solid advice to clients, supported by its practitioners' encyclopedic knowledge of local conditions, customs and languages."

Russia

"The 'responsive, attentive and creative' Moscow cadre is 'one of the major players in the country, having a number of much-respected IP experts and having been involved in plenty of big cases.' It is as adept at assisting international players protect their marks in Russia and across the CIS as it is navigating local businesses through overseas expansion."

United Kingdom

"When it comes to brands, Gowling WLG is so much more than a litigation team; it provides perceptive strategic solutions to trademark problems whichever form they take. Moreover, it does so internationally, thanks to the close integration of its teams in North America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia."

United Arab Emirates

"Gowling WLG snapped up one of the best trademark practitioners in the world in former Clyde & Co man Jon Parker. A 'leading light of intellectual property in the United Arab Emirates,' Parker has established a far-ranging, multilingual, highly efficient domestic and international practice at the firm with phenomenal speed."

In addition to the country rankings, WTR 1000 also recognized the following 23 professionals for a total of 29 individual listings:

Canada

Anti-counterfeiting

Monique M. Couture
Tania D'Souza-Culora
Christopher J. Pibus

Enforcement and litigation

James H. Buchan
Monique M. Couture
Tania D'Souza-Culora
Kelly Gill
Robert A. MacDonald
Christopher J. Pibus
Kevin Sartorio

Prosecution and strategy

Stuart C. Ash
Shelagh Carnegie
Monique M. Couture
Margaret A. Fitzpatrick
John G. Leckie
Robert A. MacDonald
Jennifer L. Morton
Frank Mulock

China (Foreign Firms)

Jamie Rowlands
Jian Xu

Russia

Enforcement and litigation

Alexander Christophoroff
Marina I. Drel
Julianna Tabastajewa

Prosecution and strategy

David Aylen

United Arab Emirates

Jon Parker

United Kingdom

Enforcement and litigation

Alexandra Brodie
Gordon Harris
Kate Swaine

Prosecution and strategy

Kate Swaine

WTR 1000 also recognized Sheena Jacobs of JurisAsia - a firm with whom Gowling WLG has an exclusive association - as one of the top lawyers in Singapore (Transactions).

WTR 1000 is respected internationally as one of the most trusted guides to the top trademark firms and professionals around the world. The results are based on a comprehensive vetting process that includes feedback from professionals, clients and in-house counsel.

With unmatched expertise in patents, trademarks, brands and designs, advertising, IP litigation and more, Gowling WLG's global IP team has been winning cases for clients around the world for more than 125 years. With one of the largest and most highly regarded IP practices in Canada, leading practices in the U.K. and Russia, expert teams in Germany, China and Dubai and a global network of IP associates, Gowling WLG's international IP team can help your business succeed in jurisdictions across every continent.

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