Intellectual Property Associate in London

We are a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it’s personal or business, we understand that everyone’s situation is different. But we’re more than just a law firm – we’re a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life’s ups and downs. Working here you’ll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment. We’ll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

Your Role and What You’ll Be Doing

We are seeking an experienced Intellectual Property lawyer to join our team in either London, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham or Bristol. You’ll join our Intellectual Property (IP) team, working closely with Partner Georgie Collins, our National Head of IP and Head of our US Desk. We are a full-service IP practice comprising both solicitors and trade mark attorneys, providing a seamless, integrated service across the full spectrum and lifecycle of IP rights. Our work spans rights protection, registration and portfolio management, commercial exploitation, and disputes/enforcement in the UK and internationally. We act for entrepreneurs and start-ups through to global brands, helping clients start up, scale up and sell up across a wide range of sectors, including retail and consumer goods, financial and professional services, leisure and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, media/publishing & entertainment, and sport.

About You

• We’re looking for a technically excellent, commercially minded lawyer who enjoys a mix of contentious and non-contentious IP work and is keen to contribute to a highly regarded national team.
• Qualified lawyer with 5–10 years’ PQE in intellectual property (contentious and/or non-contentious), with a post IP qualification such as the Oxford University Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property or similar.
• Experience in relation to brand protection, specifically trade mark and design strategy, clearance, prosecution, monitoring and portfolio management, working with the UKIPO, EUIPO and WIPO is essential.
• Strong experience advising on the protection and enforcement in: trade marks and designs, copyright and database rights, rights in confidential information and trade secrets, advertising and marketing compliance, and IP transactions.
• Litigation experience (IPEC/High Court/UKIPO/EUIPO/UDRP forums) in the field of trade marks, domain names, designs, copyright, database rights, confidential information/trade secrets, defamation and privacy, with urgent interim relief.
• Sector awareness across retail/consumer, financial and professional services, leisure and hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, media/publishing & entertainment, and sport.
• Excellent drafting and communication skills with the ability to deliver clear, pragmatic advice to clients at all levels, including founders and senior executives.
• Collaborative team player who has a track record of building client relationships, contributing to business development and mentoring junior colleagues as needed.

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can 'buy' up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days – Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid).
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.
• We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you’re fully supported. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.
• We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024.
• Our responsible business programmes are fundamental to who we are and our purpose. We’re committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish, and we have established a number of inclusion network groups across our business to support this aim.
• Our commitment to Social Responsibility, community investment activity and tackling climate change is a fundamental part of who we are. It’s made up of four strands: Our People, Our Community, Our Environment and Our Pro Bono.

Additional Information

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group's on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group’s employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders. We carry out pre-employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties. The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws. Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.