India

The High Court of Delhi in India notified the Intellectual Property Division Rules, 2022 (DHC-IPD Rules, 2022) and the Rules Governing Patent Suits, 2022 (Patent Rules). The DHC-IPD Rules, 2022, among other things, expedite the process for resolving IP disputes in India, make proceedings standard and provide specific protocols.

Meanwhile, the Patent Rules streamline and tighten the procedures for adjudication. The Patent Rules define terms such as claim construction brief, invalidity brief, infringement brief, non-infringement brief, damages brief, among others.

A report titled “Review of the Intellectual Property Rights Regime in India” was released by the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce. Among others, the report captured the recognition of non-human inventors, AI and its implications for India.

Also released was the Joint Committee Report on Personal Data Protection Bill. The bill creates a regime for data sharing between multiple stakeholders. In particular, it will have repercussions on rights concerning intellectual property, particularly aspects such as trade secrets and data localization which affect intellectual property protections offered to foreign entities by their home regimes.

The Government of India has also extended the 80 percent rebate on patent filing fees and provision to expedite patent examination to educational institutions and MSMEs.

With the abolition of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board and the formation of an IP Division at the High Court of Delhi in 2021, IP lawyers and attorneys in India expect other High Courts in the country to also establish dedicated IP divisions and more IP-centric judges to be appointed as Judges of the High Courts. They also expect many courts in India to grant damages in IP matters in the next five years

According to some, there is a huge untapped potential in India for synergistically applying different laws to intellectual property laws, such as the interplay between arbitration and IP or the interplay between competition law and IP.

Aditya & Associates is a specialty IP firm based in Mumbai led by the noted Vipul Bhuta, who serves as managing partner and leads the patent practice. The firm has worked extensively on a new patent relating to textile products with herbal composition that renders the fabrics insect-repellent without affecting its basic characteristics. It has also advised on a novel concept to making an engine run by outside air without fuel.

New Delhi-based ALG is a dynamic, mid-sized intellectual property law firm which works with clients of all sizes; it has been entrusted with IP portfolios of several large multinationals. Partners Ashwani Balayan, who heads the firm’s patent practice, and Aparna Sreedhar, who handles trademarks, trade names and copyright matters, are key contacts. Principal Pranay Bali is noted for his expertise in media and entertainment and IP transactions.

Chennai-based boutique IP firm Altacit Global has acted for Rane, a manufacturer of amplifiers, and other audio processing equipment, before the IPAB, and in oppositions in support of Officer’s Choice, an Indian whisky brand owned by Allied Blenders & Distillers. The firm makes the following IP services available to its diverse roster of clientele: IP protection for patents, design, trademark, copyright, utility models and geographical indications; advisory; litigation, and; development services namely IP valuation, IP searching, registration, training; and due diligence and commercial reporting. Key team members of the firm include Sudhir Ravindran, and Filma Varghese.

The IP community in India and beyond was saddened by the news that Amarjit Singh, a well-known IP practitioner in Delhi and proprietor of Amarjit & Associates died in early 2021.

Anand and Anand is one of India’s top IP firms, housing more than 200 professionals led by managing partner Pravin Anand, who was the recipient of the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) prestigious 2021 President’s Award. Senior partners Safir Anand and Archana Shanker are excellent lawyers. Clients include Mars, Microsoft, Toyota, Louis Vuitton and Pioneer. Recently, the firm became the first to flag off corporate governance issues in an IP dispute between Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels and Lodha Developers; successfully obtained registration of a moving trademark for a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer and of a shape mark for an American biopharma company; instrumental in registering exclusivity of various Geographical Indications pertaining to textiles; and working with many homegrown unicorns including Nykaa, Flipkart, Hike, Pine Labs and Freshworks. Anand and Anand was named India trademark firm of the year at the 2021 Asia IP Awards. The firm also won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards.

ANM Global has merged with Mumbai-based IP boutique Literati Juris, a firm founded in 2018 by Ragnini Shah and Rahul Dhote. Full-service ANM Global was established in 2009, and enjoys a pan-India presence with offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. The firm has practice areas including IP, media and entertainment, sports and gaming law, information technology and litigation. Nidhish Mehrotra is the firm’s co-founder and managing partner; co-founder Anuj Gupta is noted for commercial litigation involving trademark and copyright issues.

IPR-focused boutique law firm Ashwathh Legal started operations during the height of the pandemic in December 2020. With seasoned lawyers, each having experience of over 10-15 years, the firm brings a wealth of proven expertise around IPR laws both on the prosecution as well as litigation fronts for trademarks, copyright, designs, patents, customs IP investigation & enforcement, litigation & dispute resolution. The firm today counts some of the best Indian companies as well as multinational companies among their clients apart from advising startups. It continues to grow strategically by adding new practice areas such as data privacy and protection, media & entertainment especially around content protection and anti-piracy, among others. In the first year alone, the firm has initiated over 20 different civil/commercial suits before the Delhi District Courts and the Delhi High Court.

Leading full-service firm AZB Partners has offices spread across Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. The firm offers “highly client-oriented” services, says a client who entrusts it with trademark and passing off work. Apart from the traditional IP filing and prosecution work, the firm is better known for its IP transactions and licensing work. Partner Nandan Pendsey is a key contact. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2022 India Awards.

Beruar & Beruar’s practice areas include copyright, trademarks, patents, design, geographical indications, dispute resolution, corporate advisory, investigation and enforcement. Partner Rahul Beruar co-founded the law firm and heads its IP practice. Heading the dispute resolution team is partner and co-founder Nidhi Jain. The firm has its head office in New Delhi and has additional offices in Mumbai and Ranchi. The firm recently secured a dynamic injunction in a trademark infringement suit before the Delhi High Court against third-party infringers using marks identical/ deceptively similar to the India Today Group’s (ITG) well-known AAJ TAK trademarks, one of the few dynamic injunctions granted by courts in India in trademark infringement cases. It was named India copyright firm of the year at the 2021 Asia IP Awards and IP boutique firm of the year at the 2021 Asia IP India Awards.

New Delhi-based Chadha & Chadha delivers high-quality work covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, plant varieties, emerging IPs, licensing and transactional IP for a diverse range of sectors – from electronics, IT, metallurgy and healthcare to fashion and education. It has successfully represented Cremo, a major Swiss dairy company, in a suit for passing off, unfair competition and dilution of trademark; brought an action for patent infringement in the U.S. against Royal Enfield North America for Flash Electronics (India) Private Limited and settled post negotiations with the defendant; and successfully assisted PRADA in the protection of its reputed trademark and trade name PRADA. Key contacts include Sonal Madan, Chetan Chadha, Shivarpita Nailwal, Tarun Gandhi and Gopal Trivedi.

Chandrakant M. Joshi is an IP specialist in Mumbai, where it has practiced since 1968. Today, the firm is run by Hiral Chandrakant Joshi, and has specialists in chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, electronics and mechanical patent law, as well as trademarks, designs and copyright law. The firm advises clients from across South Asia, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives, and other countries around the world.

Mumbai-based Clove Legal is a full-service law firm with a business-centric approach. Its IP team, composed of professionals with well-rounded experience from some of India’s best law firms, stands out for its creative thinking, allowing it to sail through complex issues relating to intellectual property rights. These include trademarks, copyright, licensing, assignments and franchising. The firm particularly singles out its task to apply IP laws to new age products and services that are digitally serviced and catered to as an enriching experience.

Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas traces its lineage to Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co. Thefirm has more than 625 lawyers, including 100 partners. The firm opened a new office in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City at the International Financial Services Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The office is led by managing partner Cyril Shroff along with partner and chair of finance, banking and insolvency L. Viswanathan and partner and head of the firm’s Ahmedabad practice, Paridhi Adani. The firm also has offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Singapore. Partner Ashwin Sapra has 19 years’ experience providing advice on matters relating to intellectual property, drug and medical device regulatory and compliance and other corporate law matters. Promoted to partners were Anirban Mohapatra in Bengaluru, where he is part of the firm’s corporate practice, and Biplab Lenin in Delhi where he is part of the firm’s pharma and life sciences team. Mohapatra advises on a variety of technology, media and telecommunication-focused transactions and data privacy matters.

Strong IP player DePenning & DePenning is known for its non-contentious work. The Chennai-based firm handles IP searching, investigation, drafting, registration and enforcement as well as opposition procedures. Its services also cover domain names, geographical indications and portfolio management. DePenning & DePenning is a popular firm for multinationals doing work in India. With offices in Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, the firm has been serving clients for more than 165 years.

Based in New Delhi, Dodd & Co is a law firm founded by Pooja Dodd in 2016. Dodd, formerly a partner with Fox Mandal and LexOrbis, provides intellectual property services to clients in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The firm provides a range of services including commercialization, cross-border measures, due diligence and audits, enforcement work, conducting extensive market surveys, detailed investigations, filing criminal complaints and civil suits. The team also boasts of substantial experience in the area of anti-counterfeiting of diverse products ranging from high-end luxury goods to FMCG goods. Akanksha Singh, Shilpi Jain, Rishika Aggarwal are key practitioners.

Kolkata-based IP specialist DP Ahuja & Co boasts more than 20 attorneys, five litigating counsels and five technical associates, with additional offices in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune. With over 50 years of experience, the firm is known for its prosecution work, especially in the areas of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications, material sciences, chemistry, textiles, space and rocket technology, and armaments. Its 2,700 clients around the world are mostly multinational corporations and universities.

With offices in Bengaluru and Mumbai, Ediplis Counsels boasts a dynamic mix of IP attorneys, agents, engineers and management experts to deliver a well-rounded legal approach. The firm taps software and technology partners to develop software products designed to improve the quality of its deliverables. Founder Nishant Kewalramani and senior partners Ashima Chalia, Aditi Verma Thakur and Vishal Jain are key contacts.

Chennai-based Eshwars | House of Corporate and IPR Laws has a staff composed of five partners, 15 associates and one legal professional. Led by managing partner Eshwar Sabapathy, the firm provides the following services: IP audits, IP portfolio advisory, national and international filings and prosecution, litigation, domain name protection, distribution and franchising protection. Saisunder N.V. is a key practitioner.

Excelon IP is a Gujurat-based firm which offers a one-stop solution for all intellectual property related matters including patents, trademarks, patents and designs. Its team of attorneys, analysts, chemists, pharmacists and engineers ensure these services are topnotch and delivered on a timely basis to its clients which range from startups to multinational companies across multiple industries within India and beyond its borders. Kinjal Joshi and Sanjaykumar Patel are the firm’s key practitioners. The firm has offices in the Gujurati cities of Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, and in the United States.

Ezy Laws has a presence in Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. Its IP practice offers the following services: formulating intellectual property strategies; drafting, filing and prosecuting registration applications in respect of copyrights, trademarks and patents; drafting complex patent specifications relating to a wide array of technologies, filing national patent applications in India and overseas; managing a trademark portfolio; coordinating with international law firms in the procedural aspects of the IP registration process; drafting, reviewing and negotiating a diverse range of intellectual property agreements to meet the specific needs of wide-ranging industries in India and globally; conducting due diligence with a specific focus on IP, involving a detailed review and documentation of IP in a company and assistance in evaluating the risks, liabilities and opportunities involved with IP; and providing legal opinions on complex IP issues arising from emerging technologies.

Established in 2008, Fidus Law Chambers is a boutique IP law firm in Noida. Its client portfolio includes Fortune 500 corporations and multinationals as well as small and medium enterprises and startups. The firm offers services for searching, filing, prosecution, oppositions and cancellations, renewals/ payment of annuities, multi-jurisdictional counselling on trademark law. Its IP coverage includes trademarks, patents, copyrights and designs, with its litigation practice encompassing internet laws, media, entertainment and telecommunication laws, trade secrets, advertising and unfair competition and regulatory laws. The firm has advised on NFTs, drafted contracts to factor in rights over NFTs and also advised on and applied for trademarks intended to be used in the metaverse. Astha Negi and Shreya Ganguly are among the key practitioners.

Established in 1896, Fox Mandal possesses anunparalleled legal tradition of being the legal advisor for the East India Company and the successive Governments of the Presidency of Bombay. The firm has offices in India, the UK and Bangladesh with representative offices in important cities in India. It has 400 lawyers including 50 partners in its legal team. The firm has been assisting Samsung Electronics in prosecuting patent applications in India on various technologies such as telecommunication and mobile technologies as well as in its complex IP issues. Fox Mandal has also been advising Emmvee Photovoltaic Power, a famous solar solutions producer, in protecting, registering and maintaining its IP portfolio; and providing assistance in filing international trademark applications (Madrid Protocol) in over 20 countries. Another notable work involves iMedrix Systems, a cutting-edge medical technology company providing cardio health care solutions by utilizing AI, cloud technology and machine learning. The firm has been assisting iMedrix in all their patenting needs.

Groser & Groser was founded in 1994 with a desire to help clients from abroad better understand India’s nascent intellectual property regime. Today, the modern firm is run by Francis Stewart Groser and Robin Mark Groser, along with a dozen other skilled professionals delivering premium quality legal services in the areas of patents, trademarks, designs, copyright and domain name protection. The firm is based in Gurugram.

 Groverlaw, founded in 2013 by former Remfry & Sagar lawyer Vikram Grover, is a Gurugram-based corporate, commercial and litigation practice which has established itself as an important player in Indian legal circles. The boutique law firm offers a wide spectrum of IP services – from protection, portfolio management, enforcement, prosecution, opposition and cancellation to search, clearance and monitoring. The firm was named IP boutique firm of the year at the 2021 Asia IP India Awards.

G&W Legal is able to combine the expertise of the prosecution and disputes team, with commercial IP and tech/media seamlessly, ensuring across the board expertise in all aspects of intellectual property. Its IP practice covers copyrights, trademarks and industrial designs, enforcement, anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy; brand protection and prosecution; transactions and commercial IP; searches; advisory and strategy. In one year, the team has grown by 30 percent.

H.K. Acharya & Company was established in 1977 in Ahmedabad, and is one of the region’s most visible firms. Led today by the personable Rajeshkumar Acharya, the firm has a reputation for quality work. Acharya holds an M.S. in chemistry and a doctorate in pharmaceutical chemistry, and is registered to practice before the Indian and Canadian patent and trademark offices. Harsha R. Acharya is the firm’s managing partner; she brings an in-depth understanding of business strategies.

Located in New Delhi, illuminIP delivers filing and prosecution support services in multiple jurisdictions. The firm’s focus areas are trademarks, patents, copyright, design, geographical indications, fashion, technology, media and entertainment, sports law and competition law. Founding partner Kangan Roda heads the firm’s IP prosecution and litigation practices while co-founder G. Rahul leads its IPR prosecution. Both have represented clients in FMCG, F&B, pharmaceuticals, IT, banking, insurance and fashion sectors, among others including Fortune 500 companies.

Indus Law has offices in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The firm advises on IP protection, advisory, cross-border IP registration, litigation and dispute resolution, anti-counterfeiting actions, transactional IP, commercialization and valuation support. Partner-in-charge of the IP team Suneeth Katarki from Bangalore is a key contact.

New Delhi-based Inttl Advocare is a full-service IP firm, which was established in 1991 by noted litigator Hemant Singh. The firm’s clientele includes leading brands in foods and beverages, liquor, garments, cosmetics, FMCG, computer software, pharmaceuticals and other sectors. Senior partner Preetika Singh brings three decades of experience to the firm and receives high praise from clients. Mamta Jha is another key practitioner at the firm. Inttl Advocare has represented Novartis in various suits as well as Nestlé, for which it filed close to 100 national phase applications in India, among numerous other clients.

IPHorizons in Bengaluru is a small and focused patent boutique firm offering services of global standards. Aside from securing patent applications in India and U.S. patent offices, the firm’s services also include drafting of specifications in the complex areas of software, semiconductors and biotechnology. To date, the group has drafted about 50 specifications for filing in the U.S. and India, 30 granted patents in the U.S. and around 200 patents in India, and represent about 100 active patent cases in U.S. and 1,500 in India. The firm was founded by Naren Thappeta, a patent attorney in the U.S., patent agent in India and expert in IP laws in both countries.

Ira Law was established in July 2018 by former Anand and Anand senior partner Binny Kalra and four other lawyers, all of whom were previously lawyers at Anand and Anand: Abhilasha Nautiyal, Aditya Gupta, Kruttika Vijay and Raunaq Kamath. The firm, which is based in New Delhi, is non-hierarchical; each lawyer lists his or her position as “attorney at law.” The firm focuses on intellectual property laws, litigation and dispute resolution, insolvency and winding up, transactional advice, competition law, consumer protection laws, data privacy and protection, and media and advertising. It represented Google in a Google Ads litigation and a trademark proprietor in relation to infringement of a certification trademark relating to barcode numbers. The firm also defended Vistara (Tata SIA) in a trademark litigation for an alleged mark ‘Fly Higher’, among other trademark work the firm has undertaken. Ira Law was named IP boutique firm of the year at the 2021 Asia IP India Awards.

New Delhi-based Juriskps Law Offices serves its clients in the courts and tribunals at Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The firm has handled trademark cases for the Indian Badminton League and the Indian Post Office Bank, among others.

Kalinga Legal Services boasts of a team of lawyers with diverse backgrounds and high-level expertise. The team is led by CEO Som Patra, a lawyer, engineer and doctorate degree holder in intellectual property. Patra has more than 14 years of experience in the field of patents and has 15 granted patents in automotive technology. Aside from patents, the firm’s services also center around trademarks, engineering designs and geographical indications and include contract drafting, vetting and management.

Kan and Krishme handles a variety of media, entertainment, sweepstakes, promotions and intellectual property law matters, as well as a variety of technical matters, from its base in New Delhi. The firm has satellite offices in Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, and representative offices in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the Maldives. Sharad Vadehara and Saurabh Kumar Gautam are key contacts.

Boutique IP firm K&S Partners made its name through prosecution work. The firm has offices in Bangalore, Gurugram, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and New Delhi. Partner Aishwarya Menon, who specializes in trademarks, copyright and geographical indications, is a key contact. With over a decade of experience, Menon has been working with clients all over the world to protect their trademarks and branding in India and its sub-continent. In 2021, the firm acted for GAP, Warner Bros., Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions, International Business Machines and The Scotch Whisky Association, among others, for various trademark cases.

Commercial law firm Khaitan & Co. has a respected IP practice with offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and a new office in Singapore – its first outside of India. Partners Adheesh Nargolkar, Nishad Nadkarni, Shailendra Bhandare and Smriti Yadav are key contacts. The firm’s clients include Tata Group Companies, Novartis, Amazon, Godrej Group, Menarini Asia-Pacific Holdings and CK Birla Corporate Services.

Khurana & Khurana delivers end-to-end IP prosecution, litigation and commercial law and licensing services. Its local (New Delhi, NCR, Pune, Mumbai, Indore, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Punjab and Chennai) and international offices in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand allow its 150 or so professionals to provide the needs of its more than 3,000 corporations that make up the firm’s clientele.

King Stubb & Kasiva has been a key player in the Indian intellectual property arena for more than a decade. The results-oriented firm also has key food; health care, pharma and life sciences; IT; and TMT practices which complement the IP practice. The team has stellar reputations for TMT sourcing and disputes, intellectual property litigation and brand protection as well as data protection work. Its clients include parts of the Tata group, Johnson Controls, Make My Trip, Aviva and Lenovo. Bengaluru-based managing partner Jidesh Kumar is noted for his technology transfer, due diligence and corporate work.

Chennai-based Savitha Kesav Jagadeesan leads the IP practice at Kochhar & Co, one of India’s leading commercial law firms. The firm has represented footwear maker Bata in sending an infringement notice to the creators of the movie Jolly LLB 2 for using the name of the company and “damaging its reputation.” The firm has also advised Amaraja Batteries, tubing manufacturer Roll-Kraft and Godrej-Boyce. Senior partner Tarvinder Singh is a key contact at the firm.

Established in March 2021 in Chennai, Kria Law prides itself as being a fully digital firm with cloud-based internal and external interactions and transactions and top-of-the-line software for IPR portfolio management, among others. Its practice areas include IP and information technology, litigation & dispute resolution, commercial, taxation, competition and anti-trust and general civil disputes. MS Bharath, a seasoned litigator, strategist and counsellor in the field of IP and the firm’s founder, is a key contact. Of counsel R. Parthasarathy and partner Akshaya P Sachin are leading practitioners. Kria Law was named Rising Star at the 2021 Asia IP India Awards.

Krida Legal is a boutique firm specializing in laws regarding sports – krida means “sports” in Sanskrit – gaming, art, IP rights and agro-chemicals. Managing partner Vidushpat Singhania is one of the country’s top sports and gaming lawyers, and is noted for his advisory and consulting work on betting and gambling laws, league formation and rights structuring, tax implications, related commercial transactions and anti-doping disputes. He has represented the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Athletic Federation of India before Court of Arbitration for Sports, a renowned cricketer before the BCCI’s Anti-Doping Panel, and has assisted the National Sports Development Code Committee and Asian Football Confederation’s Governance Task Force.

A full-service IP law firm, Krishna & Saurastri Associates delivers its services to all major industries. Among its practice areas are IP counseling, prosecution, litigation and transactions covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, geographical indications, plant varieties, domain names and semiconductor IC layouts. The firm has its headquarters in Mumbai, and offices in New Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2022 India Awards, including Mumbai firm of the year.

Krishnamurthy & Co, also known as K Law, is a full-service law firm with more than 85 lawyers. Nikhil Krishnamurthy heads the firm’s intellectual property and media and entertainment divisions at K Law; he has considerable experience in IP litigation, prosecution, licensing and enforcement matters and has managed the IP enforcement campaigns of leading luxury and pharmaceutical brands and software companies. He has represented a wide array of clients in the media and entertainment and IT industries, including music publishers, collecting societies, authors and composers, radio stations, film production houses, record labels, actors, performing artists, fashion designers, models, intermediaries, and internet market platforms. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards including Bengaluru firm of the year.

From its humble beginnings as a one-room office in 1985, commercial firm Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan is now a full-service law firm with 14 offices, 400 professionals anda sizeable IP team. Renowned litigator V. Lakshmikumaran is a founding partner and also a key contact. Life sciences group leader Malathi Lakshmikumaran is a key practitioner. The firm advises on all matters of IP, including geographical indications, plant variety protection and regulatory matters. Its services are anchored on technology, the firm investing heavily on tech and infrastructure to allow its professionals and clients to work and collaborate with each other more efficiently and effectively.

Managing partner Raghav Malik leads the team at Lall & Sethi in Delhi, which won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards, including New Delhi NCR firm of the year. The firm focuses on trademarks, copyrights, designs, patents, confidential information and trade secrets, entertainment and sports laws and information technology laws. The firm prides itself on having a top-notch IT system; its IP Management Software, developed in-house, ensures that timely responses are sent and deadlines are strictly adhered to. The firm was founded in 1994 by Chander Lall and Sandeep Sethi, both of whom have been elevated to senior advocates. Managing partner Tia Malik and partners Anju Khanna and Jyotideep Kaur are key contacts. New hires include Pankaj Monga, partner and head of brand protection as well as Nancy Roy, litigation partner.

LexOrbis has developed legal and technical experience in media and entertainment, food and beverages, fashion, sports and publishing, automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, biosimilars, computers, chemical, consumer products, defence equipment, electrical and electronics, information and communication technology, software and mobile apps, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and seeds and agro-chemical products. Key IP practitioners include Manisha Singh and Abhai Pandey. The firm was successful in a domain name complaint filed with the WIPO against the misuse of the domain name www.indiafashionweek.com on behalf of the Fashion Design Council of India, even though the other party had been the owner of the disputed domain name for almost 14 years. The firm also helped its client in successfully securing a patent protection for the diabetic drug remoglifazone, which was the first to be approved by Indian drug regulators. The drug is currently undergoing clinical trials and was introduced for the first time in India.

Little & Co., a 160-year-old firm, provides both contentious and non-contentious services relating to the laws of patents, trademarks, copyright and design. The firm also handles domestic and cross border acquisitions/transfer of IPR, software development, transfer of business that includes IPR, contracts in respect of media and entertainment industries, distribution and franchise arrangements and issues relating to restrictive and unfair trade practices.Among its partners are Dara P. Mehta, who has been practicing as an advocate since 1955 and as a solicitor since 1957, and Jayendra P. Kapadia who has been practicing as an advocate since 1976. The firm counts government and semi-government-owned entities, multinationals, public and private sector banks and players in the power and infrastructure, pharmaceutical, mining and shipping industries.

LR Swami Co is a Chennai-based IP boutique. Founded in 1925, the firm provides advice and assistance in relation to patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs. In particular, its services include the following: trademark registration services, drafting of patent specifications, patent registration, copyright registration, design registration, trademark and patent searches, filing and prosecuting of national phase applications in India, enforcement of intellectual property rights and allied services. Key clients include the Raj Group, American Megatrends, Double Horse, Bharathi Cement, Royal Sundaram, TV9 and the Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre chain.

New Delhi-based L&L Partners, formerly known as Luthra & Luthra, is a top law firm which represented Médecins Sans Frontiéres (Doctors Without Borders) (MSF) in an action against Nadiadwala Grandsons Entertainment, whose motion picture Phantom portrayed MSF in a negative light by indicating that the NGO maintained links with fanatic groups. Asim Abbas has rejoined the firm in New Delhi as a partner. He specializes in technology, media and telecommunications. Another returnee is partner-designate Subhash Bhutoria, who practices IP rights and art law. His clientele includes leading sports and gaming firms, fashion labels and lifestyle brands, galleries, artists and creative professionals and publications.

Founded and headquartered in Kolkata, L.S. Davar & Co. is a full-service intellectual property law firm founded in1932; it operates today as one of the oldest IP law firms in India, led by chairman and patent lawyer G.S. Davar and managing partner Joshita Davar Khemani. The firm protects and enforces portfolios for a wide variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies across many sectors, and the Indian government and government entities. The firm provides services throughout South Asia with a network of associated firms. It was named IP Boutique of the Year at the 2021 Asia IP India Awards.

Mansukhlal Hiralal & Co.in Mumbai assists clients in the following: trademark advisory, searches, filings, prosecutions, registrations, and renewals; international registration of trademarks through the Madrid System and in the ASEAN Region; copyright advisory, filings, prosecution and registrations; design advisory, filings, prosecution, registrations and renewals; advisory, prosecution and registration with regard to protection of plant varieties and geographical indications; domain name searches, registrations and renewals; contentious matters; enforcement actions, due diligences, assignments and licensing agreements, among others. Partners Bhushan Shah and Purvi Asher are key practitioners. Bhavin Shah, of counsel, is a new hire.

The team at Mason & Associates is led by managing partner Neel Mason, a highly-regarded IP practitioner. The firm has recently worked on a case in relation to compression technology in the mobile phone industry and a product patent case in relation to a formulation that helped in improving kidney function, as well as a trademark case concerning whether the registering of key words in an online AdWords program amounts to an infringement of trademark. Clients include Perrigo, Google India, Super Cassettes Industries, YouTube and Oxford University Press.

Mehta & Mehta Associates in Gurugram is led by Ramesh Kr. Mehta, who comes recommended for IP work. The firm assists both national and international clients on all IP related-issues, both contentious and non-contentious. Clients include MNCs, institutions, organizations and individuals. The firm is recognized for its techno-legal inputs, and cost-effective approach. A client notes that it has “close to 100% success in prosecution outside India.”

Chennai-based Mohan Associates is an IP specialist, catering to a varied clientele including leading Indian industry groups, governmental organizations, academic institutions and MNCs. Founding partner A.A. Mohan was an IP pioneer in India, and is one of the country’s most noted litigators, having worked on numerous high-profile ligitation, including the Novartis case in 2007 and the more recent patent dispute between Bajaja and TVS. Brinda Mohan, before joining the firm as a partner, spent more than two decades doing technical and entrepreneurial work at corporates including Siemens and HCL.

With offices in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, M&P IP Protectors has built strong relationships across India and beyond, including other countries in Asia, the European Union, the United States and with the UAE. Its practice covers intellectual property counseling, prosecution, litigation, and transactions concerning patents, copyright, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs and legal drafting.

General practice firm Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe has offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Established in 1895, the firm is one of the oldest in India and boasts of strong litigation and dispute resolution practices. The firm’s IP team is active advising clients in the media and entertainment industry, including singer Lata Mangeshkar and best-selling author Amish Tripathi. Multinational firms, large Indian companies and Fortune 500 companies make up the rest of its client base.

Led by founding partner Essenese Obhan, Obhan & Associates represents clients from various industries, most notably the technology (including mechanical, life sciences, software and electronics), publishing and media and real estate sectors. While it was established as an IP boutique, the firm has also set up a corporate department led by Ashima Obhan, who also handles M&A, finance and real estate matters. Its IP team consists of seasoned professionals in IP prosecution and contentious proceedings before IP offices and courts across India. Among its clients are TATA Chemicals, AGFA Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Aditya Birla Science & Technology Co., Steer Group, Pine Labs and MakeMyTrip (India).

Sanjay Kumar is founder of Perfexio Legal, a Noida-based firm which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2020. The firm focuses largely on IP matters, including entertainment and media law, IP licensing and competition, as well as litigation and dispute resolution. In additional to more usual litigation matters, the firm has also handled a large number of high stake and unprecedented litigation matters, including representing innovation-based clients on issues pertaining to compulsory licensing and the Bolar exemption under the Indian Patent Law.

Priya Rao and Associates is a boutique law firm focusing on copyright, patents, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, litigation and information technology laws. The firm’s partners firm have decades of local and global experience in these fields under their belt as well as in-depth knowledge of markets and enforcement procedures, assuring clients around the world of premium end to end legal solutions to their intellectual property issues. Founder Priya Rao, who has over two decades or experience advising and representing Fortune 500 Companies in India and internationally, is a key contact.

Protect IP India is a Gurugram-based firm which focuses on copyright and trademarks. A leading name in risk mitigation, the firm provides end to end solutions to intellectual property rights infringement, anti-counterfeiting investigations and enforcement with related services comprising business intelligence, market surveys, due diligence and supply chain investigation services. The firm has teams in India’s critical cities for a pan-Indian presence as well as associated lawyers around Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle East.

Gurugram-based Rahul Chaudhry & Partners, formerly known asLall Lahiri & Salhotra, is led by managing partner Rahul Chaudhry, who has owned the firm since March 31, 2013. The team, team composition, team structure including the partners and support staff continues to be the same as that of LLS. The firm offers reliable, business-centric legal counsel to both national and international clients. Founding partner Anuradha Salhotra is a key contact. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards.

New Delhi-based Rajeshwari & Associates is a full-service law firm specializing in intellectual property. The firm’s specialist teams cover a large range of industries, from pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, insecticides and biotechnology, to software, electronics, physics and engineering. Rajeshwari Hariharan was a partner at K&S Partners before founding her firm in 2009; she brings a combination of command in trial advocacy and an aptitude for science and technology. Hariharan has argued numerous patent and trade secret cases before the Supreme Court of India and various high courts. Her achievements include winning the first-ever compulsory license for Natco, litigating the issue through the Supreme Court.

IP powerhouse Remfry & Sagar, which opened its fourth office in Mumbai in April 2021,is a go-to firm for multinationals in India. The firm is advising the World Trade Centers Association in ongoing enforcement work in which damages to the tune of Rs5 million (US$75,000) have been claimed. In one matter, relating to use of the company’s trademarks and service marks. The firm traveled to a work site in Nashik, Maharashtra, with local police to remove signage when it was learned that the infringing company was flouting a High Court order to cease using the marks. A main suit is pending with the High Court of Bombay. Led by managing partner Ashwin Julka, the firm was named India patent firm of the year at the 2021 Asia IP Awards. The firm also won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards. Disputes specialist Mohini V. has been elevated to the firm’s equity partnership. Elevated as retained partners were Amol Dixit, Tanmay Joshi, Mahesh R., Ritam Rawal and Sangeeta Savant.

IP specialist R.K. Dewan & Co handles both contentious and non-contentious work. The firm is one of the largest filers of domestic Indian patent applications. Principal Mohan Dewan has more than 40 years of IP experience. The firm represents more than 4,000 clients of all sizes and most fields, including software, automobiles, heavy engineering, chemical engineering, defense equipment, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology and food packaging technology.

Ranjan Narula leads RNA, Technology and IP Attorneys from its Gurugram base. The firm recently acted for Puma in seeking a permanent injunction restraining infringement of trademark, passing off, damages, delivery up before the Delhi High Court against Pasco Sports, which was engaged in manufacturing and marketing footwear and filed several trademark applications for registration of deceptively similar marks and owned the domain name www.pamasports.com. The court granted ex-parte interim injunction and appointed a local commissioner to visit the defendant’s premises, where 350 pairs of infringing sports shoes and 35 bags bearing the PAMA mark were seized. Pasco has since changed its mark to ZAMA. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2022 India Awards.

The team behind Royzz & Co is a mixture of lawyers and engineers whose combined backgrounds and expertise allow the firm to deliver services that merge the business, scientific and creative components of legal matters. The firm has its main office in Mumbai but also has a presence in Chennai, Delhi and Pune. Its IP practice covers copyright, trademark, design, geographical indication, patent, anti-counterfeiting and IP valuation.

Kolkata-based S. Majumdar & Co has acted for generic drug makers Natco Pharma and GM Pharma in patent proceedings against AstraZeneca before the Delhi High Court. Founding partner S. Majumdar is a well-praised practitioner and an expert in patent matters. Aside from patents, the firm also handles trademarks, industrial designs, copyright and trade secrets and has ventured into domain disputes, licensing, investigations and litigation. The firm was named Kolkata firm of the year at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards.

Boutique firm SS Rana & Co is one of the very few IP firms in India registered as Advocate-on-Record with the Supreme Court. Managing partner Vikrant Rana oversees the practice. The firm acted as instructing counsel to the respondent in Lal Babu Priyadarshi v. Amrit Pal Singh, a case in which the Supreme Court of India dismissed the appellant’s appeal and ruled that no person can claim the name of a holy book – in this case, Ramayan, a holy book for Hindus – as a trademark for goods or services marketed.

Managing partner Sagar Chandra leads the team at Sagar Chandra & Associates in New Delhi. Founded in 2009, the boutique intellectual property law firm handles contentious and non-contentious matters for trademarks, copyrights, patents, designs, geographical indications, domain names, trade secrets and unfair competition as well as media and entertainment laws. Ishani Chandra is also a key contact. The Chandras have 15 years of experience each in the field of intellectual property.

Sai & Mehta is a boutique firm in New Delhi with core practices covering patents, designs, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, geographical indications, domain names, cyber law, technology licensing, commercialization and others. Aside from its New Delhi headquarters, the firm also has associate network offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Founder and managing partner Amit Mehta is a key contact.

IP specialist Saikrishna & Associates has worked with international clients including Microsoft, Walt Disney, Pfizer and Star India. Its service areas include patents, trademarks, copyright, designs, personal data privacy and data protection, commercial IP, dispute resolution, sports law, telecom, media and technology, among others. Founding partner Saikrishna Rajagopal is noted for work on anti-piracy matters. Ameet Datta and Bharatvir Singh are also key contacts.

Sim & San recently opened a new office in New Delhi which will serve as the firm’s headquarters, with another office in Faridabad providing support to the facility. The firm has now stepped out to build up a robust expansion plan in new practice areas and bring in a pool of talent across all levels. Among the key lawyers are Sangeeta Goel for trademarks, Sidhant Goel for patents, Surbhi Kapoor for copyright and Mohit Goel for enforcement. The firm represented a large U.S./Canadian telecommunication antenna manufacturer in a patent litigation against multiple infringers based out of South Korea, Germany and China, securing interim deposits in court from the infringers of more than US$20 million as of this writing. Sim & San has also filed multiple copyright applications in India for a variety of works, from computer software/source code to cinematographic films and musical works to architectural drawings, aside from protecting the rights of jewellery design owners against assertion of copyright by third parties.

Scriboard Advocates & Legal Consultants specializes in technology law, intellectual property, new media and telecommunications law. Established in 2010, the firm boasts a diverse clientele that includes industry leaders, technology companies, non-profit and public organizations. Among them is Amazon India, which the firm regularly represents in different courts across the country for trademark infringement and related matters. It has offices in New Delhi and Greater Noida plus an R&D Centre in Faridabad. Its leading practitioners are Ravi Goyal and Rodney D Ryder. Goyal is a key contact.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co is one of the surviving firms out of the 2015 dissolution of Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co. Based in New Delhi, Dev Robinson is the national practice head of the firm’s IP practice, in which he advises on a host of IP matters involving trademarks, trade dress, names, goodwill, copyright, designs and transactions involving commercial exploitation of intellectual property. Robinson’s clients include Honeywell, Texas Instruments, Motorola, Sony and Ericsson. The firm advised Sony on the merger of Sony Pictures Networks India and Zee Entertainment Enterprises. Partners Prateek Jauhari, Manav Nagara and Pooja Singhania are among the new hires.

Raja Selvam started Selvam & Selvam in 2007 as a boutique IP firm. With over a decade of experience, he focuses his practice on all aspects related to trademark and domain disputes including prosecution, litigation, IP transactions like licensing and transfers, IP audits and due diligence, and brand acquisition and market entry. The firm was recently involved in the consolidation of the trademark portfolio of an Indian FMCG Fortune 500 Company subsequent to their de-merger. The firm counts 24 Hour Fitness, Workday, Cartier, Fromageries Bel, Crabtree & Evelyn and Xerox among its clientele. The firm was named Chennai firm of the year at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards.

Singh & Associates is headed by founding partner Manoj K. Singh. With offices in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the firm is known for its high-quality services in litigation and dispute management for trademarks and copyright, among others. Its team of lawyers, consisting of young and senior legal professionals, is known for its approach for legal excellence while appreciating the commercial and corporate environment in which its clients operate. Clients include Autorobot Finland, British Telecommunications, Penthouse, Sony and Xiaomi.

 Singh & Singh was founded by Maninder Singh and Pratibha Singh in 1999, both of whom have been elevated to the position of senior advocate; Maninder Singh is currently Additional Solicitor General of India. The firm handles a variety of IP, media and telecommunications, arbitration, competition law, tax, pharma regulatory matters. The firm has five partners and four associate partners working with more than 40 attorneys and patent agents. Bitika Sharma and Sudeep Chatterjee are particularly well-regarded; Saya Choudhary is recommended for patent work. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards.

New Delhi-based Singhania & Partners is a leading full-service law firm, with branch offices in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurugram. The firm provides advice in IP, dispute resolution, corporate and commercial, M&A and other areas. Clients include large and medium Indian and foreign businesses, multinational corporations, and Fortune 500 companies, as well as ministries, government authorities and public sector undertakings.

Founded in 2007 by Sunita K. Sreedharan, IP boutique SKS Law Associatesis growing its presence. Sreedharan is praised by clients for her understanding of various legal approaches. Emphasizing patents, the firm offers service regarding licensing and technology transfer, protection of trade secrets and biodiversity-related issues. For a select clientele, the firm also conducts IP audits and carries out competitive intelligence.

Mumbai-based Solomon & Co. was founded in 1909. With offices in Mumbai and Pune, its clientele includes government entities, local and multinational companies, banks, non-profit organizations and individuals. The firm provides support in the following areas: building and creating intellectual property portfolios, advising clients on maximizing returns from their IP assets, and on acquisition of IP rights, licensing agreements, technology transfers and JVs, collaboration research and developments agreements. The team also provides strategies and means of defending and enforcing IP rights, among others. Its practitioners work with locally-based lawyers with contacts in various Indian cities, including New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. Managing partner Aaron Solomon is a key contact while partner Germaine Pereira and Jinisha Sha are leading practitioners.

New Delhi-based IP boutique Subramaniam & Associates has Pfizer, F Hoffmann-La Roche and Procter & Gamble on its clients list. It specializes in patents, trademarks, design, copyright, domain names, data protection, geographical indications and provides services in drafting, filing and prosecution of applications, searches, oppositions and enforcement, among others. The firm boasts of the latest technology and sophisticated software among its tools to ensure timely delivery of services to clients. The firm is led by leading practitioner Hari Subramaniam, who has in-depth knowledge of the medical sector. Shalina Ahuja is also a key contact.

Sujata Chaudhri IP Attorneys, a growing IP boutique firm in Noida, was founded in 2014 to provide advisory, litigation and enforcement, and prosecution services in all areas of intellectual property. The firm focuses on adding value to the firm’s clients’ businesses; it has garnered clients ranging from Fortune 500 MNCs to start-ups with limited budgets. In early 2022, the firm promoted Urfee Roomi as its second partner, following name partner and founder Sujata Chaudhri. Roomi spearheads the firm’s litigation and enforcement practice, with experience in courts around the country. He also has experience in settling IP disputes, including through mediation.

A full-service intellectual property law firm based in New Delhi, Sushant M. Singh & Associates is known for its patent contentious work. Indian Oil, Castrol, GlaxoSmithKline, Infosys and Crompton Greaves are clients. The firm delivers advisory, prosecution, litigation, enforcement, international registration of intellectual property services, among others. Based in New Delhi, managing partner Sushant Singh is an experienced litigator and key contact. Singh manages a team composed of advocates, supporting staff, patent agents and associates in all major countries of the world.

Verum Legal regards itself as a firm for startups, founders, incubators, accelerators, angel investors and emerging growth companies. Its lawyers possess a firm grasp of business and technology, enabling the team to provide top-quality legal services for IP, including patents, copyright, trademark and industrial design. The firm was founded by Vasundhara Shanker, managing partner and a key contact.

One of the oldest law firms in India, Wadia Ghandy & Co. provides highquality IP service with a sharp business touch. Headquartered in Mumbai, the firm has branch offices in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Singapore.

Founded in 1942, W.S. Kane & Co. is one of the oldest IP firms in India. The firm originally specialized in intellectual property but has also branched out into dispute resolution. Leading practitioners include Ashutosh Kane, a key member of the IP prosecution and dispute resolution team, and Rahul Kadam, who has been handling trademark and copyright filing, prosecution and litigation for more than 25 years.

Ahmedabad-based Y.J. Trivedi & Co is noted for handling complex IP matters locally, nationally and internationally, and boasts a team with members coming from varied backgrounds, including chemistry, engineering, biology and law. The firm also has offices in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur. Senior partner Jatin Trivedi has been practicing both as an advocate and as a patent and trademark attorney since 1999. The firm won multiple awards at Asia IP’s 2021 India Awards, including Ahmedabad firm of the year.

ZeusIP has represented Red Bull seeking a permanent injunction against the proprietor of the Red Bull Health Club & Multi Gym in Kerala before the Delhi High Court, which granted an ex parte interim injunction restraining the defendant from using the Red Bull trademark and logo in any manner. Managing partner Gunjan Paharia heads up the practice. Naveen Varma, Naqeeb Nawab and Preksha Sharma are key contacts.