In parallel with its annual rankings announcement, IAM Patent 1000 has also declared Adams & Adams as the 2019 Patent Firm of the Year, South Africa. Referring to the firm as a "regional powerbroker", the agency highlighted the "proficiency of Adams & Adams' patent practitioners across the contentious / non-contentious divide." Adams & Adams is the destination of choice among multinationals wanting to establish, protect and monetise their IP rights in a slew of countries with only a single point of contact. Lately, the firm has also seen an upswing in outbound work, especially in the field of plant breeders' rights; it is helping local rights holders to cash in on the rising demand for South African fruit through the signing of lucrative licensing contracts.

IAM Patent 1000 also recognised individual Adams & Adams partners as leading patent practitioners. "Having worked for four years in industry, Louis Van der Walt has a feel for the way that business executives like reports to be written. "He's highly skilled at drafting both local and foreign applications, with outstanding knowledge of procedures in South Africa as well as in the United States, before the European Patent Office and under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). He has a gift for explaining complex technical inventions in clear, understandable terms." Danie Dohmen is an ace in all things agriculture. His personable, engaging style has helped him to form fruitful, long-term relationships with rights holders big and small. Janice Galvad and Johnny Fiandeiro are prosecution pros. Galvad specialises in overseas filing; Fiandeiro is a telecoms guru who lives for the thrill of expanding the boundaries of technology. Firm chairman Dario Tanziani oversees the patent renewals department, which is responsible for approximately 30,000 renewals worldwide. He is at his best on the pharmaceutical side, like Alexis Apostolidis, to whom originators make a beeline for blockbuster litigation cases. Apostolidis's track record is simply superb. Helming the litigation practice, Russell Bagnall is not one to pull a punch either; he has faced off against some of the most feared litigators in the world and emerged victorious."

IAM Patent 1000 is a guide to the top patent practitioners in key jurisdictions around the globe and is based on 1,800 interviews with practicing attorneys and in-house counsel. According to IAM, "only those individuals identified by market sources for their exceptional skill sets and profound insights into patent matters feature in the IAM Patent 1000."