Carpmaels & Ransford, Trade Mark Lawyer/Attorney

We are building our highly regarded Trade Mark team to service the firm's prestigious and growing client base. As a result, we are offering an opportunity for an experienced Trade Mark Attorney or Solicitor with significant trade mark experience. At Carpmaels, we do not distinguish between the two professions in terms of work type, responsibility or remuneration.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate substantive legal knowledge to provide strategic, balanced and complete advice in the client's best interests.
• Identify and focus on important issues, even without comprehensive knowledge of the case.
• Lead cases with minimal Partner input but, crucially, know when to seek input from colleagues.
• Be the primary point of contact with clients and responsible for all aspects of the day‑to‑day client relationship including legal advice, budgeting/costs, awareness of the client's business and identifying opportunities to develop the relationship.
• Supervise junior colleagues' work to ensure that the final work product is high quality and fulfilling the client's expectations, including delivering positive or constructive feedback in an appropriate manner.
• Identify opportunities to develop new business from existing clients or new clients and for the Trade Mark team or any other service lines offered by the firm.
• Support the Trade Mark group's profile‑raising activities, e.g. by attending appropriate conferences or networking events, contributing to articles and podcasts etc.
• Be a financial role model, including by diligently recording time, raising invoices in a timely manner and in accordance with client requirements, monitoring progress against fee estimates and ensuring junior colleagues do likewise.
• Efficiently manage your own and junior colleagues' time and workloads such that a high‑quality work product is delivered on time and on budget.
• Participate fully in the life of the Trade Mark group, e.g. by leading/participating in internal know‑how sessions and knowledge sharing, contributing to training and upskilling of the group, identifying opportunities to improve practices and processes, and attending social events.

Qualifications

• Qualified and experienced Trade Mark Attorney (5+ PQE) or a qualified Solicitor with comparable trade mark experience.
• A track record of academic excellence, strong performance in the qualifying examinations.
• Awareness and experience of the day‑to‑day work of a trade mark lawyer across the full spectrum of contentious and non‑contentious work.
• An in‑depth understanding of all aspects of trade mark law and practice at the UKIPO, EUIPO and WIPO, as well as a solid grasp of trade law and practice in other common, key jurisdictions.
• Experience of English court proceedings is highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with clients and colleagues.
• The ability to form and maintain relationships.
• A passion and aptitude for problem solving and research: intellectual curiosity.

Benefits

• 25 days' holiday (increasing by 1 day per year up to our maximum of 28 days). Our Senior Associates start on 28 days' holiday from the outset.
• Employer pension contribution of 5% in your first year, with a minimum 3% employee contribution, increasing to 10% employer contribution after one year's service.
• Holiday buy scheme, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Holiday bonus, starting at £400 per year, increasing each year up to a maximum of £2,000.
• Private medical insurance via Bupa, where you'll be eligible to join the month following your start date. You will also have the option to add dependants, subject to a monthly cost.
• Free confidential access to 24/7 medical, mental, legal and financial wellbeing support via Health Assured and WeCare from your first day of employment.
• Access to internal Mental Health First Aiders, all of whom have completed the Mental Health First Aid England accredited training programme and champion wellbeing across the firm.
• Life assurance of 4x your base salary.
• Income protection, with cover for up to 5 years and compensating for up to 75% of your base salary.
• Cycle2Work scheme.
• Season ticket loan.
• Access to Payroll Giving or Give As You Earn (GAYE) which allows you to donate to charity through your monthly pay.
• We're passionate about the benefits of corporate volunteering and offer all employees 1 paid volunteer day per year.
• Competitive enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, surrogacy and shared parental leave schemes, if you've been with us for at least 26 weeks.
• Fertility policy aims to assist employees with both the logistical and emotional aspects of undergoing fertility treatment, including paid leave of up to five days for treatment.
• Informal arrangements such as hybrid and agile working, as well as more formal arrangements such as flexible hours and part‑time working.
• Flexible and life‑friendly working options during recruitment process and upon joining us.

We look forward to hearing from qualified candidates who are ready to contribute to our Trade Mark team and support our clients with high quality legal services.