Why Dehns?
Dehns has a fantastic reputation for both the quality of its work and its training. This, coupled with the opportunity to move to Germany meant that choosing Dehns was really a no-brainer!
What’s it like working at Dehns?
Great! As a firm we generally have a very social atmosphere. In our office we operate an open door policy, so everyone is welcome to go in to each other’s office to talk and ask questions, whether they’re support staff, trainees, associates or partners. This creates a friendly atmosphere throughout the office, and there are always people available and willing to help with any questions you might have. Our office also has regular and varied social events, and the firm as a whole has a summer party and a Christmas party which all of the offices attend.
What are your main duties/roles in your current position?
From day one I’ve been involved with every stage of patent prosecution, from drafting right the way through to grant, and even after grant. A large amount of my time is spent reasoning with various patent offices as to why certain inventions are new and inventive over what currently exists in the public domain, and trying to secure a patent for our clients. Whilst most of my work tends to be with large, multinational companies, I have also traveled to meet new clients and been involved in giving advice to start-ups, which is an incredibly rewarding experience.
What skills have you found to be particularly useful in this sector/profession?
Not only the ability to write clearly and concisely, but being able to verbalise and sum up your thoughts to discuss them with your supervisor is incredibly helpful. Also, what I’ve really come to appreciate is the skill of being able to quickly take short hand notes during meetings (or even Oral Proceedings at the Patent Office) to help recall important bits of information when you need them.
How do you see yourself progressing from your current position in the next 2-3 years?
Hopefully being successful in the (notoriously difficult) qualifying exams for both Europe and the UK! I feel that Dehns has given me a great platform to achieve this and has already offered me a lot of support in this regard.
