What first attracted you to Marks & Clerk?
The “Away Days” that Marks & Clerk offers as part of the in-house Training Academy stood out the most for me. Every few months, all of the trainees in the year group get together for a social event, followed by a training session focusing on some of the skills needed for our day-to-day work, the qualifying exams and more general professional development. It’s a great opportunity to catch up with your peers and establish a support network.
What skills are useful in this sector/profession?
A few crop up regularly – good written and oral communication, time management, technical subject knowledge and how to apply it. However, if I were to pick one skill in particular, it would be attention to detail. Many cases hinge on the tiniest nugget of information you can extract from a number of documents, with which you can argue your case and thereby allow you to obtain the best possible protection for your client.
Give us an idea of the range of clients you work with and the variety of technologies?
The clients I work with vary from world-famous multinationals, to local start-ups and single inventors. It is sometimes challenging to work with a wide variety of clients because your advice needs to be tailored according to how familiar the client is with IP, but this in itself makes our work dynamic and exciting.
In terms of technologies, I’ve worked on drafting and prosecuting applications relating to new active pharmaceutical ingredients and the processes involved in their synthesis, agrochemical technologies, methods in genetic sequencing, organic light-emitting compounds and devices, polymers and medical devices. Because of its size and wide range of clients, Marks & Clerk is a place where you can keep learning and apply your technical expertise.
What opportunities are there for development at Marks & Clerk?
Historically, I have been supervised by several partners. This has given me experience with different writing styles and ways of presenting arguments. More recently, however, I have been managing cases independently without necessarily requiring direct supervision, engaging clients and providing advice on their IP strategy.
During the course of my training as a Trainee Patent Attorney, the in-house Training Academy provided weekly webinars and assignments that help you prepare for the exams. Thanks in part to this, I was awarded the Chris Gibson Prize for passing with the highest mark in one of the UK qualifying exams.
Marks & Clerk provides a great environment for you to learn effectively, benefit from the experience of colleagues and grow into a capable and confident patent attorney.
Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to enter the profession?
One aspect I would advise on is to get used to trying to having to explain technical concepts in layman’s terms. For example, if you worked on a research project as part of a Masters year or during the course of a PhD, you are more than likely to be asked to explain what your project was about and the impact of your research. Would you be able to summarise your project to an average individual on the street, without having to get too technical? A lot of our day-to-day work hinges on explaining complex scientific concepts in a clear way, and this is one test that crops up regularly.
Another point is to start your research as early as possible into which firms are offering places in your subject field of interest. If you are really interested in entering the profession, it is important that you give yourself as many interview opportunities as possible – it is not unusual for prospective applicants to apply to at least 10 to 20 firms (and sometimes more). It is certainly a competitive field, but don’t be discouraged!
Finally, look into whether you can apply to Open Days or internships by patent attorney firms. These tend to be quite popular, but in the event that you are able to register for one of these opportunities, it can be very insightful as you will be able to experience first-hand what we do.
