HOUSTON – AZA, for the seventh consecutive year, has been named a top-level Texas patent litigation firm by London-based intellectual property publisher IAM.  

AZA was rated top-tier, or gold level, with only five other Texas firms, three of them international Big Law firms. Three AZA partners were also recommended by IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2021.  

The new guide said of the AZA lawyers: “In complex patent and IP litigation, AZA is efficient and cost effective, and delivers excellent results. Its lawyers listen to their clients and understand their needs, and are superb at tailoring their services accordingly.”  

IAM also wrote that AZA’s patent team “applies immense pressure on opposing parties in hard-fought battles and more than deserves its gold-tier ranking. Also noteworthy is the intrepidness of the team – for example, in challenging patent infringements in multiple Chinese courts, including recently on behalf of Advanced Codec Technologies against Xiaomi. The actions taken by AZA are never cavalier, but playing it safe isn’t the default position either.” 

Recommended partners Amir Alavi and Demetrios Anaipakos were deemed “among the best lawyers in the country for patent cases – they are smart, experienced and creative, and can be trusted to get on with things without close supervision.” And AZA partner Todd Mensing is also highly rated, with one source saying he “sees the big picture without losing focus on the details and is brilliant at adapting on the fly as circumstances change and the law evolves.” 

 This IAM rating is part of a unique guide that identifies the top patent professionals in key jurisdictions around the globe. The guide is compiled following an extensive five-month research process in which IAM conducts around 1,800 interviews with patent attorneys, in-house counsel, and other lawyers to gather market intelligence on the leading players in the field.

 In 2021, AZA’s intellectual property practice is also again on the Houston Business Journal’s list of the top 10 Houston intellectual property law firms. And IPR Intelligence Report by Patexia Inc. named AZA one of the best-performing law firms in the country in a study of more than 1,100 firms active in Inter Partes Review (IPR) patent cases over the last five years.

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property, and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized by Chambers USA 2021 among the best in Texas commercial law and intellectual property; by U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for nine years running; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer; and was previously dubbed by Law360 a Texas Powerhouse law firm. National corporate counsel named AZA one of the country’s best in client service among law firms serving the Fortune 500.