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Your legal career starts here, with a leading light in patent and trade mark law.

We live in exciting times, when innovations in fields such as science, engineering and technology are changing the way we live and work. At Abel & Imray, it’s our job to protect many of these ideas so they can flourish. And you could be a major part of that.

We’re seeking a bright and driven individual to become a trainee patent attorney in our Physics, Engineering, and IT team – joining an attorney firm with a reputation for the highest professional standards and winning client relationships.

Those clients come from industries as diverse as aerospace and electronics, off-shore engineering and medical physics – fields you’ll immerse yourself in. That should be right up your street, with an academic background in a relevant physical sciences subject, such as:

  • physics
  • acoustical, mechanical, chemical, electronics, electrical or other engineering discipline
  • medical technology
  • computer science
  • robotics
  • optics
  • nanotechnology
  • biomechanics
  • telecomms
  • and any other similar subject matter area

Inspired by pioneering inventions and ideas, you’ll be ready to offer up your technical expertise. In return, we’ll drive your career forwards (and upwards), making the best of your talents and focussing on exam success – all within a dynamic, inclusive working culture.

The opportunity

You won’t sit still here. This is a fast-paced, varied role where each day brings fresh challenges and exciting opportunities. It’s also the first step in a career with a forward-thinking firm that will constantly look at how you can help shape our future – and how we can further yours.

As a graduate, we’ll support you with thorough training. Mostly this will be in-house, but we’ll encourage you to explore the wider industry by attending lectures and taking external courses – in particular the 13-week Intellectual Property Law Certificate with Queen Mary, University of London. You’ll be working towards the examinations needed to qualify as a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney.

Your training with us will not be just about passing the professional exams.  We will help you develop into an attorney who not only is an expert in the law and emerging technologies, but also is able to deliver commercially relevant and focussed IP advice in a way that is personable and easy to understand.  We’d also like you to help us win new business.  Successfully playing a part in business development here will be rewarded with rapid career progression.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll like nothing more than a diverse workload that allows you to flex your intellectual talents. Being a patent attorney demands a blend of scientific and technical expertise, and specialist legal knowledge, so you’ll be a high-calibre graduate with a curious streak – and a problem-solver at heart.

  • You will hold or be aiming for a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree (or the equivalent).
  • As a clear and concise writer, you’ll also have a grade A English Language GCSE, Scottish Standard or corresponding qualification.
  • Being a confident communicator is essential, because you’ll be talking to everyone from the Chairman of an international corporation to a laboratory assistant from a niche scientific field.

Along with academic success and technical expertise, we value strong managerial and administrative abilities as well as people skills.

More about us

Put simply, we safeguard ideas. Specialising in patents, trade marks and registered designs, we counsel clients in intellectual property protection – from brand new start-ups to well-known conglomerates. That sees us dealing with IP offices in the UK, Europe and beyond.

In our Bath, Cardiff and London offices, we’ve been growing steadily. That’s set to continue, with a varied list of innovative, international clients spanning design, technology and manufacturing:

  • Airbus
  • Assa Abloy (makers of Chubb, Union and Yale locks)
  • B&W (Bowers & Wilkins)
  • ExxonMobil
  • Honeywell
  • IBM
  • Quantel
  • Panasonic Manufacturing UK
  • Rentokil

Ours is a firm with a prestigious history, but one eye always on the future. From longstanding attorneys to brand new trainees, everyone who works here has a part to play in defining that future – and that will include you. You’ll be joining our steadily growing firm at an exciting time – for example, we’ve just moved our London office to brand new, purpose-built offices in Holborn and have plans to continue to grow each office over the coming years.

We’re proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. And while we treat everyone we work with – and for – fairly, we respect diversity. That means nurturing each employee’s particular talents and supporting all to reach their personal goals. We also work hard to promote equality, diversity and inclusivity within the wider legal community we’re part of, as members of  IP Inclusive

  • Job Type: Graduate Job
  • Career Sector: Patents
  • Area of Specialism: Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Engineering - Other, Physics, Technology
  • Degree Result Required: 2:1
  • Number of Positions: 1
  • Location: London, Cardiff or Bath
  • Salary: Competitive
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