We have an opening for a Patent Attorney or Patent Professional Representative at our Sheffield office.

The position is a traditional patent attorney role dealing with a wide range of clients from micro-businesses through to £10m - £100m and above turnover and foreign agency work.

The role is for 6 months pure business development leading to a change on role to 80% patent & trade mark agency work with 20% business development by time spent.

Requirements

  • At least intermediate level patent qualification (PEB or EQE intermediate level)
  • UK Registered Patent Attorney and/or European Patent Attorney preferred
  • National of a member state of the European Patent Convention
  • Degree in an Engineering or scientific subject and/ or equivalent experience working as an engineer
  • Full use of Microsoft 365 package, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Dynamics 365, video conferencing platforms e.g. Teams.
  • Conscientious and willing to learn new systems
  • Business development is an essential part of the role
  • Accuracy, diligence, good client service and fast response times are paramount to this role.

The position is autonomous as an individual contributor, with full responsibility for case management and client management on your own casework and client base. You will be providing detailed advice directly and promptly to clients.

The role involves acting as General IP counsel across the full range of intellectual property matters to a portfolio of clients who are not large enough to have their own in-house IP general counsel or in house patent attorney, and who require advice on all IP matters. You will be responsible for managing and performing the full lifecycle of rights comprising:

  • Finding and originating new patent, trade mark and design applications;
  • Searching & drafting patent applications;
  • Prosecuting patent applications through to grant at the UK, EP, WIPO & foreign patent offices;
  • Infringement & validity advice;
  • Enforcement and defence against infringement, licencing;
  • Portfolio management;
  • IPEC, UK High Court, Unified Patent Court litigation

The role will be suitable for outgoing candidates who enjoy face to face contact with clients who have a strong commercial outlook and are willing to develop more business form existing clients, develop new business, and increase overall fee income. Those who enjoy and are successful at seeking and landing direct foreign client work are particularly suitable.

Persons seeking 60% or 80% part time will be considered.

Competitive salary, employer pension contribution, healthcare package and performance related bonus. 

Objective & transparent performance criteria for Associate, Senior Associate, and Director level requirements.

There is also the opportunity to acquire an equity shareholding in the firm based on defined objective personal performance criteria.

Candidates applying via a recruitment agency will be at an agency fee disadvantage compared to those applying direct.

CV and enquiries to: angel.fearnley@franksco.com