Help shape the future of intellectual property

Marks & Clerk LLP is the leading and largest firm of Patent and Trade Mark attorneys in the UK with over 60 partners and 350 employees.  Our attorneys are highly skilled in all technical fields.  We have 8 offices in the UK: London, Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Marks & Clerk supports a range of clients, from multi-national blue-chip companies to SMEs and entrepreneurs, in a variety of sectors, including automotive, mechanical, life sciences, medical, chemical, electrical, food and drink, and manufacturing. The firm also has outstanding links with academic institutions, advising inventors, guiding spin-outs and assisting technology transfer departments to maximise the value of their intellectual property.

Role purpose

The appointee will be responsible for providing exceptional client service for an existing portfolio. In addition, they will support with the acquisition of new clients to expand the team’s fee earning capabilities and ultimately will become responsible for the management and administration of their own client portfolio.

They will be actively involved in developing and implementing patent drafting/prosecution. This will include the identification of inventions and drafting, filing and prosecution of patent applications in both the UK and Europe, as well as directing prosecution of patent applications in various jurisdictions outside Europe via local Attorneys.

The appointee will benefit from the assistance and support of the Partners to ensure their successful integration into the firm. Extensive support is also available from highly capable clerical and administrative employees together with the use of a bespoke case management system.        

Principal responsibilities

The firm believes in looking at an entire business portfolio from an IP perspective and likes to take a collaborative approach with clients. The specific responsibilities will be as follows:

• Advising clients on securing appropriate IP protection and preparing and filing patent applications
• Ensuring that patentable inventions are recognised and protected
• Drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications through to grant
• Arranging novelty and infringement services and patent watch services
• Providing freedom to operate advice and validity opinions
• Conducting oppositions, appeals, entitlement hearings, invalidity and revocation proceedings before relevant offices and tribunals, representing clients at oral hearings
• Liaising with solicitors and advocates / barristers in the event of litigation
• Conducting IP audits and due diligence for investors in intellectual property and businesses with IP assets
• Take an active approach to business development opportunities with the support of a professional marketing department

Technical knowledge, professional qualifications and experience

• First or upper second class honours degree in Electrical or Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Physics or other specialism with relevant Electronics and/or Software component
• Finals standard or qualified professional (CPA and EPA)
• Highly motivated and pro-active, with drive to develop the practice
• Be comfortable dealing directly with clients
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with clients and colleagues – both written and verbal
• Excellent time and portfolio management skills
• Work effectively both independently and as part of a team (with Qualified Attorneys, Trainee Attorneys and support team)
• Be able to assume responsibility for the client relationship

Remuneration and benefits

• Competitive salary dependent on qualification and experience
• 26 days’ annual holiday plus statutory holidays
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Private medical insurance
• Permanent health insurance
• Reimbursement of membership fees to professional bodies required for the role