Why did you decide to pursue a career in patents?
During my undergraduate studies, I completed a year in industry at a large pharmaceutical company in their early stage drug development team. During this year, I attended an event on “science-adjacent” careers, which included a talk presented by the company’s in-house Intellectual Property team.
Getting to grips with a client’s new inventions at the forefront of science, paired with the learning and utilisation of the law, means that no day is ever the same. This is what attracted me to a career as a patent attorney. You never stop learning.
What attracted you to Dehns?
The reputation of Dehns is what first drew me in. Researching the firm and seeing the size, the varied diet of work and the high standard of training then made Dehns seem like the ideal fit.
Completing the Summer Placement Scheme here cemented my desire to join the team, knowing that I would be exposed to a wide range of clients and technologies whilst working alongside industry-leading patent attorneys.
What type of clients do you work for?
I work with a variety of clients, including universities, small and medium sized enterprises and multinational companies. My clients have inventions in a diverse range of chemical fields, including pharmaceuticals, medical methods and devices, oil and gas technology and polymer chemistry.
What opportunities are there at Dehns?
Dehns gets you involved in active case work from day 1, with comprehensive support alongside. This on-the-job style training is invaluable, enabling you to not only learn the law and how to do the job as a trainee, but also preparing you for your professional life past qualification where you will be managing your own clients and your own case work.
Working for a number of partners/associates also broadens the work you are exposed to and the variety of feedback you receive which helps you to improve as you go along.
Dehns has also recently announced alterative career paths aside from the classic route of qualified attorney to associate to partner, so there are long-term opportunities for everyone.
There is also a variety of work available within the firm. If you have a particular interest in a certain area of practice (for example, litigation), we have the infrastructure to help you to get involved with that.
Are you part of any committees/ groups at Dehns?
Dehns has a number of committees that anyone can get involved with. Personally, I am involved with the EDI Committee (championing, promoting and supporting EDI across the firm), the Charities Committee (organising events such as bake sales, picnics and quiz nights to raise money for elected charities) and the Fee Earner Training Group (who seek to continually refine the in-house training offered at Dehns).
External to Dehns, I am also a part of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) Informals Committee. As the Oxfordshire Regional Secretary, I organise and run social events that any trainee patent attorney from any firm/company across Oxfordshire can attend.
