I joined the E-tech team (focused on electronics, software and telecoms) at Hoffmann Eitle in January 2021 after, in agreement with the firm, taking a six-month break post-graduation to explore Europe and complete the short commissioning course at Sandhurst. My background is in Electrical and Information Engineering, with a focus on optical communication systems and machine learning. I have worked on a wide range of technologies so far such as, for example, optical coherence tomography, energy storage systems, cybersecurity and MRI, and this list is ever expanding. To me, this diversity of work is one of the most exciting parts of life as a patent attorney, as a trainee attorney is constantly exposed to, and quickly expected to gain an understanding of, cutting edge technology in a variety of fields.

Life at the Firm

Hoffmann Eitle is one pan-European firm, with a head office in Munich, where the majority of people at the firm are based, and smaller expanding offices in London, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg. The firm also has a presence in Milan, Madrid, Barcelona and Amsterdam. All trainees based in London are encouraged to undertake a secondment to the Munich office for a period of up to six months.

I eagerly took Hoffmann Eitle up on this offer and have just returned from spending six months at the Munich office. This was a fantastic opportunity to be mentored by partners in the E-tech team based there. This provided further variety to the range of technologies on which I have worked and provided me with exposure to further types of work one is expected to do as a qualified patent attorney. Upon returning to the London office, I have been able to continue to work with these Munich partners, with whom I am looking forward to being able to catch up in person during our summer and end-of-year parties hosted in Munich each year.

Hoffmann Eitle’s London office currently operates on a hybrid remote working basis. This balances the numerous benefits of home working with regular in-person contact with your colleagues – something which no amount of Zoom calls can replace!

My Advice

Try to work with and learn from as many attorneys and partners as you can as a trainee. Everybody has their own style and their own preferences for, experiences and strengths in, certain aspects of the profession. Gaining this exposure will allow you access to a broad variety of different types of work, different industries and types of client, thereby allowing you to develop a well-rounded understanding of a variety of ways in which a particular problem may be navigated.