By Sara Zaki
Linklaters is the principal legal adviser to four out of eight British companies selected by UK business leaders as the most innovative companies in the world.
The survey, conducted by Mori, ranked the top 20 companies by best practice in innovation and placed Microsoft top.
Linklaters' four clients are British Aerospace, Orange, British Telecom (BT) and BP Amoco. Alan Whitfield, head of legal at BT, said the success of the company relied on its solid in-house IP team, whose expertise in patenting and other rights "enable BT to carry out innovative inventions". He said mutual respect between in-house lawyers and external advisers is crucial.
Whitfield said BT instructed those firms that were themselves innovative. He said both Bird & Bird and Linklaters had leaders "who are responsive and forward looking with regard to client business".
Tony Angel, managing partner at Linklaters, said he was "delighted" by the result, but played down Linklaters' role.
Slaughter and May acted for Glaxo Wellcome, the highest ranked British company in the poll.
In a general response to the survey, Whitfield said British companies were ahead in terms of invention, but were not necessarily innovative in terms of getting things out in the market.