We are delighted to share that Russell IP founder and director Iain Russell has been ranked the most influential UK-based IP attorney on LinkedIn, and third overall in the world, in the 2025/26 Legal LinkedInfluencers, IP Attorneys Edition.

It is genuinely flattering recognition. Perhaps more importantly, it helps shine a light on what smaller, boutique IP practices can offer alongside the much larger firms in the IP profession.

In this short post, we’ll cover what the report said, the headline numbers, and what it means for our clients.

Key Takeaways

• Iain Russell was ranked number three globally and number one among UK-based IP attorneys in TBD Marketing’s 2025/26 IP Attorneys LinkedInfluencer report, with a Power Score of 16,324.
• The report covered 16,666 IP and patent attorneys across seven major jurisdictions, and 76,943 posts over the year from 21 April 2025 to 20 April 2026.
• TBD’s profile of Iain described him as a Legal 500-recommended telecommunications and AI patent attorney who is “technically excellent, ethically clear, and genuinely funny”.
• The report singled out Iain’s Russell IP team-building over the past year, including the addition of Emily Teesdale, Jeff Sweetman, and Ben Charig, and the firm’s IP STARS recognitions.
• One of the firm’s quieter strengths, the report noted, is that Iain handles client matters personally, without handover to junior staff.

Contents

• What the report said
• What TBD said about Iain
• Why recognition for a boutique firm matters
• What this means for Russell IP’s clients
• Connect with Iain (and Russell IP) on LinkedIn
• Closing thoughts
• Frequently Asked Questions

What The Report Said

The Legal LinkedInfluencers, IP Attorneys Edition is the inaugural global ranking of IP and patent attorneys by genuine LinkedIn engagement. It ranks attorneys using a Power Score (likes plus four times comments) on original posts published between 21 April 2025 and 20 April 2026.

In numbers:

• 16,666 IP and patent attorneys reviewed
• Seven major IP jurisdictions covered (the UK, the US, Canada, mainland Europe, and into Asia)
• 76,943 posts counted
• 82 firms represented in the top 200
• $862,000 of advertising value generated by the top 200 attorneys over the year

Iain placed third overall, with a Power Score of 16,324. The two attorneys ranked above him are both based in the United States, which makes Iain the highest-ranked UK-based IP attorney in the report, and one of only a handful of attorneys in the top ten not based at a significantly larger firm.

What TBD Said About Iain

The report’s profile of Iain captured several things we are proud of as a firm. In the report’s words, his LinkedIn presence is “an unusual combination you would not expect from a Legal 500-recommended telecommunications and AI patent attorney: technically excellent, ethically clear, and genuinely funny.”

The report highlighted:

• Iain’s 21st anniversary in the patent profession in October 2025.
• The Russell IP team build over the past year, including the additions of Emily Teesdale, Jeff Sweetman, and Ben Charig, and the firm’s IP STARS recognitions.
• A standout viral post, “The Traitors: Patent Attorney Edition” – a parody post on what patent attorneys might say if they were on The Traitors.
• Iain’s commentary on patent attorney pedantry, including a Q1 2026 post on how many months “have” 28 days that, the report noted, “lands as both joke and small advocacy lesson”.
• One of “the cleaner statements of professional ethics in the profession in 2025”: “I won’t take your money if I don’t think you should spend it with me.”
• Iain’s interests outside the firm, including tutoring trainee patent attorneys, building his own inventions, playing music, and growing vegetables.

The report also noted that “one of the firm’s quieter strengths is that [Iain] handles client matters personally, with no handover to junior staff” – something we hear from clients regularly, and which sits at the heart of how Russell IP is set up to work.

Why Recognition For A Boutique Firm Matters

The IP profession in the UK and Europe contains many large firms, most of which have been established for decades or longer, with significant marketing budgets and dedicated business development teams.

That makes it harder for smaller practices to be heard, even when their attorneys have the same qualifications, experience and technical depth as their larger peers. Iain has often said that one of the reasons he posts so actively on LinkedIn is to share genuinely useful information with inventors, founders and fellow patent attorneys, and to help level that playing field.

Being ranked as the most influential UK-based IP attorney on LinkedIn, and third in the world, is, in that sense, recognition of the growing role independent and boutique firms play in the profession. We hope it encourages other small firms to share their expertise more openly, too.

What This Means For Russell IP’s Clients

Practically, the recognition does not change anything about the day-to-day work we do for clients: drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the UK, at the EPO and internationally, particularly for inventions in AI, computer-implemented inventions, telecommunications, and music technology.

What it does reflect is the trust the wider IP community places in Iain’s commentary on those areas, and the depth of the team he has built at Russell IP in recent years. Our clients work with a firm that is small enough to give every matter genuine attention, with experienced patent attorneys handling matters personally, and well-connected enough to draw on a strong professional network when needed.

If you would like to learn more about how we work, please see Our Services or meet the team.

Connect With Iain (And Russell IP) On LinkedIn

If you would like to follow Iain’s commentary on patents, AI in IP, music technology and the wider profession – or if you simply want to see what a “genuinely funny” patent attorney looks like – you can connect with him directly:

• Iain Russell on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/iainrussellpatent
• Russell IP on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/russellip – also a good place to follow firm news, team updates and the Russell IP Excluded Matter Newsletter.

Closing Thoughts

Thank you to TBD Marketing for shining a light on the people behind the IP profession, and especially for recognising practitioners outside the largest firms. Thank you also to our clients, our team, and the wider IP community for the conversations, comments and shared posts that made the recognition possible.

If you’re a founder, inventor or in-house team thinking about protecting an innovation in AI, telecommunications, music technology, or another technical field, we’d be glad to talk.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice. For tailored guidance on your invention or patent strategy, please contact Russell IP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Legal LinkedInfluencers IP Attorneys report?

The Legal LinkedInfluencers, IP Attorneys Edition is an annual global ranking of IP and patent attorneys. It measures genuine engagement on LinkedIn, using likes plus weighted comments on original posts, rather than follower counts. The 2025/26 edition reviewed 16,666 IP and patent attorneys across seven major jurisdictions, with Russell IP founder Iain Russell ranked third overall and first among UK-based IP attorneys.

Where did Iain Russell rank in the IP Attorneys LinkedInfluencer report?

Iain Russell was ranked third in the world and first among UK-based IP attorneys, with a Power Score of 16,324 over the year. The two attorneys ranked above him are both based in the United States, which makes him the highest-placed UK-based IP attorney in the global ranking.

Who is Iain Russell?

Iain Russell is a UK and European Patent Attorney and the founder and director of Russell IP. He has over 21 years’ experience in protecting technology innovations, with particular specialisms in AI, machine learning, computer-implemented inventions, telecommunications, and music technology, and is recommended by Legal 500. He has also helped over 800 trainee patent attorneys pass their patent drafting exams. You can read more on his profile page on the Russell IP website.

How was the LinkedInfluencer ranking calculated?

Each attorney’s Power Score is calculated as the total number of likes plus four times the total number of comments on their original LinkedIn posts during the report period (21 April 2025 to 20 April 2026). The methodology is designed to reward genuine engagement and conversation rather than follower counts or one-off viral posts. Iain Russell’s Power Score of 16,324 placed him third out of 16,666 IP and patent attorneys reviewed.

How can I follow Iain Russell or Russell IP on LinkedIn?

You can follow Iain directly on his LinkedIn profile, where he posts regularly on patents, AI in IP, music technology and the wider profession. You can also follow the Russell IP company page on LinkedIn for firm news and team updates, or subscribe to the Russell IP Excluded Matter Newsletter via the Russell IP website.