I started my role at Abel + Imray in Summer 2018, after briefly spending time in-house at a large technology company and realising that I enjoyed working in IP. I work closely with a variety of attorneys and partners in the firm’s Bath office, and the cases I’m involved in cover a wide range of subject matter, from aviation and separation systems to robotics and oil and gas technology.

My day-to-day work involves prosecution, freedom-to-operate, drafting and opposition work, and I have enjoyed having this variety. Typically, I choose to start my days at 8am and finish for the day at around 4pm, which allows enough time in the afternoon to study for whichever exam is coming up next, and still have some time off in the evening!

On the subject of studying, training to become a patent attorney requires a mixture of on the job training and formal examination. At Abel + Imray, we are supported by a mixture of in-house tutorials and formal training courses to prepare us for the exams. Although it felt like there were lots of exams ahead of me at the beginning of my career, time has flown by and I’m now in preparation for final UK and European exams, so hopefully I’ll qualify as both a UK and European Patent Attorney in the not-too-distant future!

My first two years (pre-Covid) in the role were spent in Abel + Imray’s Bath office, with frequent travel to the firm’s other offices in London and Cardiff. Since March 2020, I have mostly been working from home, which was a huge shift after being office based. The IT support I received at that time was fantastic in making the switch feel seamless. With the change to home working, I’ve appreciated the firm’s emphasis on finding ways of discussing cases with me that allows for development.

We have quite a few trainees at Abel + Imray, which allows for plenty of support between trainees as we all work towards qualification. We still make some time for fun though, with regular (often spontaneous) socials and lunches!