FB Rice wins Best Specialist IP & Related Services Firm 2026 at Beaton’s Client Choice Awards

The Client Choice Awards are regarded as the most prestigious awards for professional service firms in Australia. Winners are selected from a rigorous survey process, conducted by research and consulting firm Beaton, to assess the views of clients of professional services firms.

FB Rice Managing Partner, Madeleine Kelly, said:

"Winning a Client Choice Award is an outstanding achievement for everyone at FB Rice. This recognition is particularly meaningful because it is based solely on independent client feedback, making it a true reflection of our clients’ experiences.

These results speak to our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional IP services and building strong, trusted relationships. I’m incredibly grateful to our dedicated team and to our clients for this recognition.

Client relationships are at the heart of who we are. And our focus remains on truly understanding their needs and delivering the IP outcomes that underpin their commercial success."

The Beaton Client Choice Awards are highly regarded within the professional services sector as they recognise best practice and exceptional service delivery. These awards stand out because they rely solely on client feedback, without any involvement of panels, judges, or self-nominations. Dr George Beaton, Executive Chairman of Beaton states “clients participate in the Client Choice Awards process because they want to be heard. They see this as an opportunity to recognise what is working well and to encourage even higher standards across the profession. In a hypercompetitive market, client advocacy is one of the most powerful differentiators. These awards highlight those firms that are earning that trust.”

Reflecting on our client-centred success

We are incredibly proud have received 19 Client Choice awards to date. This continued recognition confirms our position as industry leaders committed to excellence in every client interaction.

Our sustained delivery of outstanding client experience is built on trust, satisfaction, and long-term partnerships. Over the nine years we have been recognised, client feedback has consistently pointed to the strength of our communication, particularly our responsiveness, clarity, and depth of expertise.

The high level of trust fostered between our team and our clients, enables us to support the development of robust IP protection strategies for clients growing portfolios.

"FB Rice were efficient, professional, and proactive. They completed the work and recommended other services to meet my needs. The team was welcoming and clearly understood my requirements as a client."

Our clients’ ongoing support and insights inform our future direction — motivating us to keep innovating, striving for excellence, and strengthening our commitment to delivering outstanding intellectual property services.

About the Client Choice Awards

The Client Choice Awards stand as a beacon of excellence in the professional services industry. The awards shine a spotlight on firms that prioritise and excel in client experience. These are the only awards judged by client feedback rather than industry panels or other designated experts. For 20 years, more than 830 firms in Australia and New Zealand have participated in the research process and more than 425,000 pieces of client feedback have been collected. Responses are used to benchmark firms’ performances against competitors of a similar size in the same professions. The winning firms have the highest overall client service scores in their categories at the end of the process.