Methodology: the Africa IP database and rankings

Single source of truth. Every figure on this page, on the homepage IP module and on firm and lawyer profiles is calculated from one data set: the published records on The Meridian’s transaction record that carry the Intellectual Property practice tag. Each record has a stable record ID and is counted once. Drafts, records awaiting corroboration or legal review, rejected candidates and duplicates are held in the review queue and are not counted or shown.

Record types. Commercial transactions are executed or announced dealings in IP rights: licences, franchise agreements, assignments, catalogue and portfolio acquisitions, and acquisitions where IP assets are a material part of the deal. Filings, registrations and prosecution cover trade mark, patent and design applications, registrations and portfolio work. Disputes and enforcement cover pending or contested proceedings, oppositions, cancellations, injunctions and anti-counterfeiting action. Judgments and rulings are decided court or tribunal outcomes. Regulatory and policy covers legislation, regulators and IP offices. Advisory mandates are named advisory roles without a transaction or proceeding. A filing is never counted as a commercial transaction. The overall total is the number of unique published IP records.

Evidence. Commercial transactions are published only when they meet the editorial threshold: a primary source, or two or more independent sources, with the qualifying date, parties and IP rights supported by evidence. Values are shown only where a party or regulator disclosed them; royalty rates, investment figures and estimates are not treated as deal values.

Firm ranking. Every IP record that names a firm counts for that firm over a rolling 24 months. Each matter scores 1 point (regulatory 0.75), plus 0.5 at US$100m or more and 1.0 at US$500m or more, plus 0.25 if cross-border. Breadth adds 0.25 per practice group evidenced (maximum 1.5). Reach adds 0.5 for each additional African market with a recorded matter (maximum 2.0). Index = 100 × score ÷ top score. A firm is credited only where a source names it; firms are never inferred.

Lawyer ranking. IP lawyers are scored with the published Meridian Lawyer Index formula applied to their IP matters only: matter points (base × size × cross-border) × role × evidence × recency, summing the eight highest credits. Value alone never decides a position: a lead role on a contested matter can outscore a supporting role on a large deal. Individuals are credited only for named, sourced roles. Where an M&A record is in the database because IP assets were a material part of the deal, its advisers receive no IP ranking credit unless a source names an IP role.

Updates. Figures recalculate whenever a record is published, corrected or unpublished, and a scheduled job refreshes every derived figure once a day at 05:00 WAT. Disputed credits, ambiguous mandates and material ranking changes are reviewed by an editor before publication. This is an editorial ranking by The Meridian, not an official ranking. Corrections and evidence: Submit a Transaction.