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Your legal career starts here, with a leading light in patent and trade mark law.

We live in exciting times, when innovations in science, engineering and technology are changing the way we live and work. At Abel + Imray, it’s our job to protect many of these ideas so they can flourish. You could be a major part of that.

We’re seeking one of the brightest minds to become a trainee patent attorney in our growing Chem/Bio team – joining a firm with a reputation for the highest professional standards and winning client relationships.

Those clients across our team come from industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, petrochemicals and consumer products.

Inspired by pioneering inventions and ideas, you’ll be ready to offer up your technical expertise. In return, we’ll drive your career forwards (and upwards), making the best of your talents and focussing on exam success – all within a dynamic, inclusive working culture.

The opportunity

You won’t sit still here. This is a fast-paced, varied role where each day brings fresh challenges and exciting opportunities. It’s also the first step in a career with a forward-thinking firm that will constantly look at how you can help shape our future – and how we can further yours.

We will support you with thorough training. Mostly this will be in-house, but we’ll encourage you to explore further by attending lectures and taking external courses – for example, the 13-week Intellectual Property Law Certificate with Queen Mary, University of London. You’ll be working towards the examinations needed to qualify as a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney.

The role will focus on serving clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields, seeking to protect innovations concerning antibodies, vaccines and engineered immune cells.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll like nothing more than a diverse workload that allows you to flex your intellectual talents. Being a patent attorney demands a blend of scientific and technical expertise, and specialist legal knowledge, so you’ll be a high-calibre graduate with a curious streak – and a drive to deliver the best results for our clients.

  • You will hold or be aiming for a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree (or the equivalent) in biological sciences or biological chemistry, and have shown an interest in the biotechnology field through a choice of undergraduate modules and/or area of post-graduate qualification or work experience.
    • You will need to be a clear and concise writer with an aptitude for language having a grade A English Language GCSE, Scottish Standard Grade/National 5 or corresponding qualification.
    • Being a confident communicator is important, because you’ll be talking to everyone from the Chairperson of an international corporation to a laboratory assistant from a niche scientific field.
    • You could either be at the start of your career or looking for a new challenge following experience of working in industry in a relevant sector. Post-graduate qualifications or experience of working in the biotechnology industry are not essential, but would be valued.

Along with academic success and technical expertise, we value strong organisational and administrative abilities.

More about us

Put simply, we safeguard ideas. Specialising in patents, trade marks and registered designs, we counsel clients in intellectual property protection – from brand new start-ups to well-known conglomerates. That sees us dealing with IP offices in the UK, Europe and beyond.

In our Bath, Cardiff, London and Delft offices, we’ve been growing steadily. That’s set to continue, with a varied list of innovative, international clients spanning the chemical and biotechnology fields:

  • Avon (cosmetics)
    • Cancer Research UK
    • Chevron Phillips
    • CooperVision (contact lenses)
    • Imperial College London
    • Nike
    • Norgine
    • Oncopeptides and other companies based on work from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
    • Sanofi
    • Seattle Genetics

Ours is a firm with a prestigious history, but one eye always on the future. From longstanding attorneys to brand new trainees, everyone who works here has a part to play in defining that future – and that will include you.

We’re proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. We treat everyone we work with – and for – fairly, and we value diversity. That means nurturing each employee’s particular talents and supporting all to reach their personal goals, regardless of background. We also work hard to promote equality, diversity and inclusivity within the wider legal community we’re part of, as members of IP Inclusive. We are also members of WISE and Working Forward.

How to apply

Please complete our application form by clicking on the link below.

The successful candidate would then begin work in autumn 2022, with some flexibility if needed.

  • Job Type: Graduate Job
  • Career Sector: Patents
  • Area of Specialism: Biotechnology
  • Degree Result Required: 2:1
  • Location: Bath
  • Salary: Competitive
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