Why did you choose a job in this profession?

Towards the end of my undergraduate degree I began to consider a career in intellectual property. I’d always been interested in law as a subject and at one point even considered taking a law conversion course, but at that time I was focused on pursuing a career in research. Whilst I enjoyed my PhD, I became frustrated with working exclusively on a long-term project within a narrow field and I also felt detached from the end result to which my research was contributing.

I knew I wanted to continue to develop and apply my scientific knowledge, and training to be a patent attorney was an ideal choice. It has allowed me to continue to work at the forefront of innovation and contribute to a wide variety of commercially relevant projects.

What are your main duties?

Working within the Chemistry and Life Sciences Team at E+F, we are fortunate to work with a broad range of clients, from small start-ups to large multinational companies. I primarily undertake work for one partner who is responsible for my training, however, there have been plenty of opportunities to assist with work from other members of the firm. During my time at E+F I’ve already been involved with nearly every aspect of the work performed by a qualified patent attorney including drafting, prosecution, opposition and appeal work, as well as infringement and invalidity opinions. I’ve also had the chance to attend oral proceedings.

Even at this early stage in my career, I always feel like my contribution is valued. My training at the firm prepared me well when undertaking the first part of the qualification process, which at E+F is completing the Intellectual Property Law Postgraduate Certificate at Queen Mary University of London.

How did you get your job at E+F?

I applied online on the E+F website for a trainee position with my CV and a covering letter. I was invited to an initial interview with two associates, in which I was asked to give a presentation on my PhD work, and after the interview I completed a problem question on the patentability of an invention. Following this, I was invited to a second interview with one of the partners, in which I was sent a patent in advance that we reviewed together, before answering further interview questions. Shortly afterwards I was offered a position at the firm as a trainee patent attorney.

What skills are useful in this profession?

One aspect I consider to be particularly useful is the ability to independently research and to quickly familiarise myself with new scientific concepts. Whilst a PhD isn’t essential, I find that the skills I developed during my time in research are incredibly valuable in my day-to-day work, particularly the ability to manage my time effectively and to extract the key information from scientific and technical documents.

Written skills are also crucial; however it’s not just about writing in scientifically correct language. An important skill is the ability to be able to write persuasively and to build a narrative, in order to present a convincing case.