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  • Name: Arthur Laycock
  • Job Title: Trainee Patent Attorney
  • Location: London
  • University: Bristol
  • Degree: Physics

Why I chose to become a patent attorney

I have always been interested in the way things work and learning about new things, which is why I studied physics. When I found out that there is a career which involves understanding how an invention works, requires that understanding to describe the invention in detail and to go on to argue why a patent should be granted for that invention, I realised that I was onto something quite unique and interesting.

Whether or not you are looking at a completely new invention or an inventive improvement on something already known, the challenge provided by using your technical background to understand an invention, combined with learning the law and developing drafting and prosecution skills means that you are always engaged day to day.

Why I chose private practice over an in-house role

When considering private practice or in-house, the potential variety of work was the thing that jumped out at me. In private practice, there is such a wide range of work that can come across your desk, with work coming from individual inventors to large corporations.

Why I am pleased I chose Forresters

I chose Forresters because of the range of interesting, experienced people to work with, the good location of the offices and the quality of the training on offer. I have found that there is also a nice social side to the office and a good work/life balance.

Since starting at Forresters, I have developed my skills through training on live client files, which has built my confidence. This has been supplemented by both internal and external training for the exams.

I have been exposed to a wide variety of work and have been involved in client contact from the start, which helps put my training into perspective.

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