Recently, the globally authoritative intellectual property media IAM (Intellectual Asset Management) officially released its 2025 IAM Patent 1000 rankings. With its longstanding industry reputation and outstanding performance over the past year, Watson & Band has once again secured a place on this year’s IAM Patent 1000 list, maintaining leading rankings in both patent prosecution and patent litigation. 

Additionally, five distinguished professionals from Watson &Band's patent team were recognized in the individual recommendation rankings. Among them, Senior Partner Jianguo Huang, Senior Partner Liming Zhang, and Partner Yue Zhang were honored in the patent litigation category, while Dr. Hua Xiao, General Manager of the IP Agency Company, and Mr. Yingcong Xu, Deputy General Manager, were once again ranked in the patent prosecution category. 

IAM Patent 1000's commentary on Watson & Band this year is as follows: 

“Watson & Band is a mainstay in the Chinese IP industry, thanks to the far-reaching and comprehensive service provided by a huge talent pool of scientifically adept professionals. It handles the whole patent lifecycle with aplomb, leveraging its strategic alliances in the United States, Europe and other Asia-Pacific countries. Lauded as a central plank in the outfit, Jianguo Huang is a litigation specialist richly experienced in establishing solid relationships with leading Fortune 500 companies. Joining the outfit in 2001, engineering maven Liming Zhang is another significant litigator to note in light of his active involvement in landmark cases. Yue Zhang gives close attention to patents regarding chemistry and chemical engineering, to deliver top-notch application and litigation services. Well versed in international business law, Yingcong Xu brings 10-plus years of experience working as an in-house IP attorney in a world-leading corporation, performing high-level patent prosecution relating to mechanical and electrical engineering. With a PhD in information optics, Hua Xiao has an intuitive grasp of optics and physics patent application and infringement resolution.” 

IAM, a globally authoritative media in the intellectual property field, is part of the UK-based Globe Business Media Group. Its publications—IAM Patent 1000 and IAM Strategy 300 (Global Leaders in IP Strategy)—are regarded as the "Oscars of the IP industry." Its content focuses on high-value patent commercialization, litigation trends, and corporate IP strategies, with readership spanning decision-makers at multinational corporations, law firms, and investment institutions. 

IAM Patent 1000 is one of the most prestigious international rankings in the IP sector, renowned for its rigorous independent evaluation process covering major patent service markets across global jurisdictions. Through months of research, the ranking assesses law firms based on case success rates, patent drafting quality, client feedback, and cross-border service capabilities, ultimately granting recommendations only to the top-tier firms in each field.