Boutique intellectual property law firm, Spoor & Fisher, has been named the Best Intellectual Property (IP) Law Firm in South Africa for 2015 by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP), one of the world’s leading IP Law magazines. The MIP global awards honour outstanding IP law firms and individuals across the world and are chosen based on the editorial team’s research and analysis of public information.

The rankings listed individual IP stars within Spoor & Fisher, which included names such as Keith Brown, Jean McIvor, Charles Webster, Hugh Moubray, David Gilson, Craig Kahn, Mark Kemp, Jonathan Whittaker, Louise Myburgh, David Cochrane, Lance Abramson, John McKnight, Mohamed Khader, Lodewyk Cilliers, Dina Biagio, Eben van Wyk and Tertia Beharie.

Speaking of the accolade, Keith Brown, Chairperson of Spoor & Fisher says, “The award cements our position as the country’s best IP Practice, with unmatched strength in patents, copyright and trade marks.”

In addition, the firm’s Jean McIvor, Charles Webster, Carl van Rooyen, Eben van Wyk and former partner and current consultant, Dr Owen Dean, have been recognised as the best in South Africa by Best Lawyers, a well-respected peer review publication in the legal profession.

Furthermore, the publication, Chambers Global: The world’s leading business lawyers, have acknowledged Spoor & Fisher as a Band 1 IP law firm sought out by clients on the continent to advise on a range of mandates, including litigation, patent filing and trade mark enforcement. Band 1, according to Chambers, is the highest ranking a law firm can achieve in the legal environment.

It lists senior partners such as Louis van Wyk, Charles Webster, Hugh Moubray, Carl van Rooyen and Eben van Wyk, and as the go-to-resource on IP matters. Chambers has been ranking the best law firms and lawyers since 1990, and now covers 185 jurisdictions throughout the world.

Spoor & Fisher has also won the PMR.africa Diamond Arrow Award in the category of Special Legal Services Practices - Intellectual Property. Spoor & Fisher has won the Diamond award 5 out of 6 years (with a Gold rating in 2014).

The World Trade Mark Review (WTR), in its latest rankings, once again rated Spoor & Fisher as one of the top two firms in South Africa. Individuals such as Jean McIvor, Stephen Goldberg, Charles Webster, Carl van Rooyen, Louise Myburgh, Mohamed Khader, Eben van Wyk and Kay Rickelman are rated by the publication as some of the top Trade Mark Law practitioners in South Africa.

“These awards are a satisfying recognition due to the level of industry input they reflect. We have been lucky in terms of the young and diverse talent we attract and retain as a partnership. These laurels wouldn't have been possible without their dedication and commitment to making us the best in the country,” Brown says in conclusion.