Dehns is one of the largest firms of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys in Europe. We recruit graduates and post-graduates with science and engineering degrees to train with us for qualification as Patent Attorneys.
What is a Patent Attorney?
Patent Attorneys, previously called Patent Agents, are specialist legal advisers, similar to solicitors, who advise their clients how to protect their inventions by means of patents, registered designs, industrial copyright and other types of intellectual property. Patent Attorneys also advise their clients about the risks of infringing other people's patents and designs, as well as related intellectual property matters.
What does a Patent Attorney do?
A Patent Attorney's day-to-day work generally involves corresponding with clients, Patent Offices and overseas Patent Attorneys, analysing patent specifications and drafting new specifications. There will also be meetings with clients, who are more commonly industrial companies than individual inventors. Patent Attorneys represent their clients at hearings, usually at the European Patent Office in Munich, and may be involved in litigation as advisers or advocates.
Why become a Patent Attorney?
Becoming a Patent Attorney gives you the opportunity to be involved in both science and law. You use the scientific training from your academic career in combination with the legal training that you gain on the job. The profession generally suits people who enjoy working with science and technology but don't want a career as a research scientist or engineer.
What skills do I need?
At Dehns, we consider it important for a Patent Attorney to be able to understand inventions from a wide range of fields, usually from only a written description. We require analytical ability for identifying the novel features and commercial value of an invention, and the ability to express ideas clearly and accurately for precisely defining the scope of protection for an invention.
We expect candidates to have proven ability in a scientific or engineering field, so that they can deal on equal terms with the research and development teams of our industrial and academic clients. We therefore require a first or upper second class honours degree in chemistry, biochemistry, physics, electronics or engineering, and we are particularly interested in candidates who have experience in the fields of electronics or biotechnology.
We file a considerable number of patent applications in the European Patent Office in Munich and in view of this and the wide availability of foreign technical information, knowledge of German and/or French is desirable.
How will I be trained?
On joining the firm, a new trainee works under the direct supervision of one or more of our qualified Patent Attorneys and learns the relevant law and practice. The training is supplemented by lectures and tutorials organised by us and by the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys.
It is our usual policy to send trainees an appropriate course during the early part of their training which gives a basic grounding in all aspects of intellectual property law and also exempts successful candidates from the first set of examinations required to become a Chartered Patent Attorney.
After typically 3 to 5 years of on-the-job training, trainees take the examinations to qualify as a Chartered Patent Attorney and as a European Patent Attorney. Trainees may additionally train and qualify as Trade Mark Attorneys, if desired.
Why Dehns?
- We are one of the largest firms of Patent Attorneys in Europe, with over 70 professional staff and offices in London, Brighton, Oxford and Munich. Our size allows us to provide you with a variety of opportunities within one single organisation.
- We have a strong reputation for high quality training and an excellent record of success in the qualifying examinations.
- The firm has a friendly and sociable atmosphere which we hope provides an environment in which trainees can succeed to qualification and beyond.
Current vacancies
We generally expect to recruit graduates and post-graduates each year to start training in our London, Brighton, Oxford or Munich offices. If you would like to apply for a job as a trainee with Dehns, please write to Ms. Jane Jolly, at our London address giving details of your interest and enclosing your current C.V. Please also indicate your preferred office location and any locations which would be unacceptable to you.
