Methodology

What these rankings measure, how they are produced, and their limits.

What is counted

• US trademark registrations only. Pending and abandoned applications are excluded.
• The attorney named as attorney of record in USPTO records at the time of our data refresh.
• Grouped by registration year, not filing year.
• State lists group by the owner address of record on the application.
• A minimum of 10 registrations in that scope and year is required to appear on any list.
• The current calendar year is not published until June. Registrations accrue through a year, so a list published in January would rank attorneys on a few weeks of data. Until then the most recent complete year stands.

What this does not measure

It does not measure quality, outcomes, client satisfaction, success rate on contested matters, or fees. Volume correlates with firm size and practice model. A practice handling a small number of complex matters will rank below a high-volume filing operation, and nothing should be inferred from that about either one's competence.

These lists are not an endorsement or a recommendation. Choosing counsel should involve your own inquiry.

Known limitations

• Name matching is conservative. We do not merge similar names, because attributing one attorney's work to another is worse than splitting a count. An attorney appearing in USPTO records under multiple forms may be undercounted.
• Attorney of record changes. The record reflects who is listed now, which is not always who prosecuted the application.
• Client state is domicile, not location. Companies incorporate in one state and operate in another, which particularly affects Delaware, Nevada and Wyoming.
• Our index has a lag. Rankings reflect our most recent USPTO data refresh, not today.

Corrections and removal

If a listing is wrong, or you would prefer not to be listed, contact us and we will correct or remove it. We do not require a reason. Listings are compiled from public records without solicitation, and nobody pays to appear or is charged for the badge.

Displaying the badge

Attorneys who appear on a list may display the badge on their own site. Several state bars regulate how attorneys may present awards and rankings, sometimes requiring the methodology to be published and identifiable. This page exists partly so it can be cited for that purpose. Compliance with your own jurisdiction's advertising rules remains your responsibility.