De Penning & De Penning
De Penning & De Penning is India's oldest established intellectual property law firm (founded 1856), offering patent, trademark, design, copyright, domain name, and IP portfolio services to corporate enterprises and individual inventors across five Indian offices and an international referral network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1856
- HeadquartersChennai, India
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What De Penning & De Penning does
De Penning & De Penning is the oldest established intellectual property law firm in India, founded in 1856 by George Alfred De Penning, who filed the first patent application in India that year. Operating as a private partnership firm of IP lawyers governed by the rules of the Bar Council of India, the firm delivers a comprehensive suite of intellectual property services through nine practice areas: patent prosecution, trademark registration and enforcement, industrial design registration, copyright protection, domain name enforcement, geographical indications, market investigations, IP portfolio management, and database/patent searching. Its services are delivered by specialist IP attorneys and a dedicated in-house patent search team handling matters across all technical fields. The firm operates from five offices across India — Chennai (headquarters), Kolkata, Delhi/Gurgaon, Mumbai, and Bengaluru — and reaches international clients through global IP associations and referral networks.
The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with client engagement initiated through website enquiries, direct office contact, and referrals. Revenue is generated on a professional-services-fee basis tied to engagement scope, jurisdiction, and complexity; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base is horizontally segmented across corporate enterprises (including pharmaceutical and healthcare multinationals such as SK Biopharmaceuticals, Sanofi-Aventis, Mafag Reflexa AG, and Agfa-Gevaert) and individual inventors/creators. Distribution relies on the multi-city office network for domestic clients and international IP associations (WIPF, APAA, AIPPI, INTA) plus published content (articles, case studies, news & insights) for inbound demand generation. The firm files more than 7,500 cases per year and reported 1,500+ new client instructions in 2021.
The firm holds independent third-party recognition from Asia IP Awards (2025 Patent Firm of the Year for India; Pharma, Biotech & Life Science Firm of the Year), IP Stars (ranked, with Silver in Prosecution/Strategy and Enforcement/Litigation), Legal 500 Asia Pacific (ranked, Highly Recommended for Prosecution, Silver band for Litigation), Chambers Asia Pacific (2023 Leading Firm), Global IP Awards, Global Law Experts, and Acquisition International. In 2025, the firm achieved ISO 27001:2022 certification from Guardian Independent Certification Ltd, an uncommon information-security credential for a law firm. There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, subsidiaries, parent companies, or external equity investors; the firm is independently owned and operated by its partner attorneys.
De Penning & De Penning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Penning & De Penning
- Legal name
- De Penning & De Penning
- Website
- https://depenning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1856
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- De Penning & De Penning is India's oldest established intellectual property law firm (founded 1856), offering patent, trademark, design, copyright, domain name, and IP portfolio services to corporate enterprises and individual inventors across five Indian offices and an international referral network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Penning & De Penning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intellectual Property Legal Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis (BPAHAMAG), IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI), IP Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAMAE), Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC)
Keywords
Where De Penning & De Penning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chennai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices5 records
Markets served
De Penning & De Penning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal and Attorney Services Fees: Professional services fees generated through intellectual property legal services including patent filing, trademark registration, design protection, copyright, domain names, and related IP advisory services. Revenue is generated through engagement-based professional fees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
De Penning & De Penning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Penning & De Penning is one of India's oldest intellectual property law firms, providing comprehensive IP legal services since 1856. The firm files, prosecutes, and litigates patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, domain names, and geographical indications before the relevant Indian IP offices and courts. It also offers allied services such as IP database searching, market investigations, IP portfolio management, and IP valuation.
Product overview
De Penning & De Penning is an established intellectual property law firm offering comprehensive legal services rather than a software product. The firm's service portfolio encompasses nine core practice areas: Patent Services, Trademark Services, Design Registration, Copyright Services, Domain Name Services, Geographical Indications, Market Investigations, Portfolio Management, and Database Search. These services are delivered through attorneys and lawyers who are IP law specialists, providing expertise, professionalism, and dedication to clients seeking to protect their intellectual assets in India and globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Designs
Quantifiable outcome
- 7500+ cases filed in the last year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use De Penning & De Penning
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
De Penning & De Penning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
De Penning & De Penning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
De Penning & De Penning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anand and Anand: One of the largest and most established IP law firms in India, providing patent prosecution, trademark, copyright, design, and IP litigation services. Directly comparable to De Penning as a specialist IP firm with deep Indian coverage and enterprise pharma clientele.
- Remfry & Sagar: Long-established IP law firm in India providing patent, trademark, design, and IP enforcement services. Directly comparable heritage specialist competitor to De Penning with similar enterprise clientele.
- S.S. Rana & Co. Indian IP law firm offering patent, trademark, copyright, design, and domain name services. Comparable specialist IP competitor in the Indian market.
- R.K. Dewan & Co. Established Indian IP law firm with patent, trademark, design, copyright, and IP litigation practice. Comparable specialist IP competitor serving enterprise clients in India.
- Lall & Sethi: Indian IP boutique law firm focused on patent prosecution, trademark registration, and IP litigation. Comparable specialist IP firm competing in similar Indian enterprise and international client segments.
- K&S Partners: Leading Indian IP and technology law firm with full-service patent, trademark, design, copyright, and IP litigation offerings. Comparable as a specialist IP firm serving multinational clients seeking Indian IP protection.
- Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan: Large Indian IP-focused law firm with strong patent and trademark prosecution practices across multiple Indian offices. Comparable specialist IP services competitor with similar pan-India footprint.
Broad incumbents
- AZB & Partners: Top-tier Indian full-service law firm with IP prosecution and enforcement capabilities. Comparable broad incumbent competing for IP mandates from large enterprise and multinational clients.
- Khaitan & Co. Major full-service Indian law firm with a recognized IP practice ranked by Chambers and Legal 500. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering IP services alongside corporate, M&A, and dispute resolution capabilities.
- Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas: India's largest full-service law firm with a significant IP practice including patent prosecution, trademark filing, and IP litigation. Comparable as a competing destination for IP work, especially for clients seeking integrated corporate + IP counsel.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
De Penning & De Penning social profiles
Digital presenceDe Penning & De Penning compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
De Penning & De Penning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Penning & De Penning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
De Penning & De Penning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Penning & De Penning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about De Penning & De Penning
What does De Penning & De Penning do?
De Penning & De Penning is one of India's oldest intellectual property law firms, providing comprehensive IP legal services since 1856. The firm files, prosecutes, and litigates patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, domain names, and geographical indications before the relevant Indian IP offices and courts. It also offers allied services such as IP database searching, market investigations, IP portfolio management, and IP valuation.
Is De Penning & De Penning a public or private company?
De Penning & De Penning is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was De Penning & De Penning founded?
De Penning & De Penning was founded in 1856. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is De Penning & De Penning based?
De Penning & De Penning is headquartered in Chennai, India, in the Asia region.
How does De Penning & De Penning make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal and Attorney Services Fees.
Who are De Penning & De Penning's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anand and Anand, Remfry & Sagar, S.S. Rana & Co., R.K. Dewan & Co., Lall & Sethi, K&S Partners and Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan. Broad incumbents are AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co. and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
Does De Penning & De Penning have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Penning & De Penning.
What industry is De Penning & De Penning in?
De Penning & De Penning's product category is Intellectual Property Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAF, Intellectual Property (IP) Law, with a secondary code of BPAHAMAG, IP Due Diligence & Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) Analysis.