Background

Opening our doors in 1864, we are one of the longest established firms of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys in the country. The firm was founded in Manchester, where our head office is located, and we also have offices in Birmingham, Chesterfield, Liverpool, London and Glasgow.

Clients and services

We serve a wide range of local, national and international clients, from individuals to multinational corporations across all sectors, and enjoy a high proportion of direct client work. We advise clients in relation to all aspects of intellectual property law including patents, trade marks, designs and copyright. Although we deal primarily with obtaining intellectual property rights for our clients, we also advise on enforcement, licensing and related matters. We pride ourselves on our commercial approach combined with a user-friendly style, and we are consistently recognised by the major legal directories.

Graduate applications

For trainee patent attorneys we seek candidates with a broad based technical background. Most attorneys in the firm deal with a broad range of subject matter. For trade mark trainees we seek candidates with a background in law, science, engineering or humanities. For all trainees, good communication skills are essential, especially an excellent command of English.

Professional development

The firm has a commitment to training through a close working relationship between trainee and a designated partner, as well as structured in-house training supplemented by external courses and tutorials. Trainees are involved with casework from the beginning, and our high proportion of direct client work means that trainees can expect client contact from an early stage. Trainees can also expect a varied and interesting caseload. We encourage trainees to take on responsibility as soon as they are able. Once qualified, attorneys enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

We operate flexible working arrangements including remote working (although trainees are expected to attend to the offices for a majority of their time to facilitate training).