Patents Associate (0-3 PQE)
- Recruiter
- Taylor Wessing
- Location
- Cambridge
- Salary
- £Market rate
- Posted
- 11 Mar 2015
- Closes
- 08 Apr 2015
- Vacancy Type
- Solicitors, Private Practice
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
- Practice Areas
- Intellectual Property, Patents
- PQE
- 1-3 Years, Newly Qualified
- Experience Level
- Junior Level
Practice Area: Patents
Reports to: Malcolm Bates and Tim Worden
Location: Cambridge
TAYLOR WESSING
Taylor Wessing is a leading International, full-service law firm, working with clients in the world's most dynamic industries. We are proud of our reputation as a forward-thinking firm, and we support clients wherever they want to do business. Our 26 offices around the world blend the best of local commercial, industry and cultural knowledge with international experience to provide proactive, integrated solutions for our clients.
Taylor Wessing were crowned 'Law Firm Of The Year' at the Lawyer Awards 2013. The award recognised our innovation in the delivery of legal services to clients, ranging from the smallest start-up to the largest multinational, and for our strategically astute commitment to investing in new economies.
OUR VALUES
- Building Strong Relationships
- Ambitious for Clients
- An Instinct for Business
- Seeking Innovation
THE PRIVATE CLIENT GROUP
Our Patents group is one of the largest and best known in Europe. Highly experienced in both contentious and non-contentious patent matters, we help our clients, based in Europe and internationally, exploit, protect, manage and defend their IP rights.
We serve knowledge-based and technology-rich businesses operating across a variety of industry sectors including technology and telecoms, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, medical devices & equipment, electronics & software, automotive and the energy sector.
A growing trend in patent litigation cases is parallel actions in multiple jurisdictions. Organisations caught up in such complex cases know the issues they face have huge commercial significance.
The group has built up an extensive expertise in the management and coordination of international litigation. Our familiarity with the patent litigation regimes in the key European jurisdictions enables us to devise and adapt the best strategies for our clients Europe-wide.
Our transactional lawyers have an excellent reputation for patent licensing and the establishment of R&D collaborations and joint ventures in relation to a range of patented technologies as well as resolving contractual disputes involving such commercial relationships.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
The associate will join our life sciences and technology practice as part of the Patents Group, and will be based in our Cambridge office. The Group currently comprises 6 partners and 13 Associates and Fee Earners, and a PSL, based in our London and Cambridge offices.
The work covers non-contentious patent matters advising technology rich clients as well as working closely with the Corporate Technology team to advise venture capital clients on the commercial and intellectual property aspects of investment in high tech start up businesses. The Patents team advises clients in the life sciences and technology sectors. Work will include advising on :
- patent and software licensing agreements
- research and development agreements
- collaboration agreements
- clinical trial agreements
- regulatory matters (medicinal products and medical devices)
- distribution agreements, and
- the early stages of patent validity and contract disputes
Although the focus of the role in non contentious matters, there will also be the opportunity work on some patents disputes - mainly High Court litigation and advising clients pre-action.
The majority of the associate's work will be patent-related, although the associate may from time to time also be asked to assist in trade mark or copyright matters, or with commercial contract work where there is an IP element.
The role involves a high level of client contact and the associate will conduct client meetings independently as well as under supervision. In addition, the associate will often be the primary point of contact when clients, and with partners/associates in other departments on corporate transactions.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE
Candidates must be UK qualified solicitors (or eligible for the QLTS), with 0 - 3 years’ PQE and from a leading UK or international practice.
The following experience/skills are essential:
- A scientific background at degree level (ideally in Electronics, Physics, Engineering, Chemical or Biological Sciences)
- At least 50% of the candidate's post-qualification experience should consist of patents work
- A high level of client contact responsibility for client files
- Self-motivation coupled with the ability to work closely with other team members
- Strong academics and technical ability
- A commercial focus and good business development skills
- Completion of a post graduate diploma in intellectual property is desirable.
Salary: £ market rate
For more information on the Firm, please visit our website: www.taylorwessing.com
Taylor Wessing is committed to an active equal opportunities policy from recruitment and selection to appraisals and promotion. All decisions relating to employment practice will be objective, free from bias and based solely on individual merit.
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