We are pleased to announce that Maria Cruz Garcia, Country Managing Director of ClarkeModet Portugal, has been honored at the prestigious Managing IP Awards 2026 with an individual career recognition that also reflects the collective excellence of our Portugal team.
The awards ceremony took place on May 1, 2026, in London, bringing together more than 750 intellectual property practitioners from Europe, the Americas and Asia, alongside the INTA Annual Meeting 2026.
Maria Cruz Garcia received the award for “Practitioner of the Year (Patent & Trademark Attorney Firms)”, in recognition of her career in intellectual property, her long‑standing commitment to clients, and her deep understanding of the Portuguese market. This distinction reflects a consistent trajectory of excellence, acknowledged by Managing IP over the years.
“This award has a very special meaning, as it marks exactly 20 years since the beginning of my career in IP and represents a very significant recognition of that journey,” said Maria Cruz Garcia.“I am truly very happy, because throughout these years my main objective has always been to add value to my clients, through the close and trust‑based relationships we have built, which I consider absolutely fundamental in IP,” Maria also underlined.“At this stage of my career, I feel particularly privileged to work with an extremely committed team in Portugal, whose collaboration enables us to achieve solid, consistent and sustainable results. In that sense, this award also belongs to the entire ClarkeModet Portugal team!”
The Managing IP Awards are among the most respected recognitions in the industry, celebrating firms and professionals who demonstrate excellence and leadership in intellectual property. In this context, the award highlights Maria Cruz Garcia’s career‑long contribution to the field and her continued leadership in the Portuguese market and the consistently high-quality work delivered by ClarkeModet Portugal.
This recognition further reinforces ClarkeModet’s strong positioning in the Iberian market and its ongoing commitment to supporting innovation and protecting intangible assets through experienced leadership and professional excellence.
Congratulations to Maria on this outstanding achievement!