Senior Associate – Intellectual Property in Manchester

Manchester City Centre | Flexible Working | Competitive Salary + Bonus + Excellent Benefits

This isn't your typical law firm opportunity.

You won't find a culture built around internal politics, unnecessary hierarchy or the idea that working the longest hours somehow makes you the best lawyer.

Instead, you'll find high-quality work, genuinely interesting clients and talented people who enjoy working together, within a collegiate, supportive environment where your expertise is valued and your ideas are encouraged.

We're supporting a progressive, well-established national law firm that's continuing to invest in its Manchester office and has ambitious plans to expand its Commercial and Corporate Services practice.

As part of this investment, they're looking to appoint an Associate or Senior Associate specialising in Intellectual Property to take a leading role in developing the firm's IP capability.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced IP lawyer who wants more than simply managing a caseload. You'll have the autonomy to influence how the practice develops, contribute to its growth and work closely with senior leadership in shaping the next phase of the business.

The opportunity

You’ll join an established Commercial Services team advising businesses, entrepreneurs, high-net-worth individuals and organisations across a broad range of sectors.

The wider practice covers commercial contracts, corporate matters, data protection, property and intellectual property, providing opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across several complementary disciplines.

With the team currently comprising three fee earners and plans to more than double in size, this is an opportunity to join at an exciting stage of development.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and advising on a broad range of intellectual property matters, including copyright, trademarks, licensing, assignments and brand protection.
• Providing strategic and commercially focused IP advice to businesses across a variety of sectors.
• Advising on IP enforcement, infringement issues and dispute management.
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating IP licensing agreements, assignments and other commercial arrangements.
• Helping clients protect, commercialise and maximise the value of their intellectual property assets.
• Working closely with the Head of Commercial on practice development, strategic initiatives and wider team growth.
• Building and developing strong client relationships, identifying opportunities for additional work and supporting business development.
• Mentoring and supporting junior lawyers as the team continues to expand.
• Contributing to client-facing legal updates, thought leadership, training materials and digital advisory resources.
• Helping improve internal processes, precedents, templates and technology-enabled solutions to deliver efficient, high-quality legal services.

Importantly, this isn't simply a role where you'll inherit a caseload and be expected to deliver against billing targets.

You'll have a genuine opportunity to influence the development of the IP offering, contribute ideas and play a visible role in building something for the longer term.

Who we're looking for

We're particularly interested in speaking with qualified Solicitors who have developed strong technical expertise in Intellectual Property and are looking for an opportunity offering greater autonomy, responsibility and longer-term progression.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• Qualification as a Solicitor in England and Wales, with substantial experience advising on intellectual property matters.
• Strong technical knowledge of IP rights, particularly trademarks, copyright, licensing, assignments and enforcement.
• Experience managing complex IP instructions and delivering clear, practical and commercially focused advice.
• Confidence working directly with clients and developing trusted professional relationships.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and analytical skills.
• An interest in business development and helping grow an established legal practice.
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to support and mentor less experienced colleagues.
• The ambition to contribute to the wider development of a growing Commercial Services team.

You may already be operating at Senior Associate level or be an experienced Associate looking for an opportunity to take on greater responsibility and influence.

What's more important is your technical capability, commercial judgement and enthusiasm for helping develop the practice.

Why consider it?

We've worked closely with the firm for some time and have successfully helped them appoint a number of lawyers and legal professionals.

What has consistently stood out is the culture.

There's high-quality work, an established client base and genuine investment in growth, but without some of the politics and unnecessary hierarchy associated with more traditional law firms.

People collaborate, share ideas and genuinely seem to enjoy working together.

The business benefits from the backing and resources of a substantial international group, providing long-term stability and investment, while retaining the accessibility and entrepreneurial feel of a progressive legal practice.

For someone who enjoys the technical side of Intellectual Property but also wants to contribute to the development of a team, this represents a particularly interesting opportunity.

You’ll work closely with senior leadership, have a meaningful voice in how the practice evolves and benefit from the opportunity to shape processes, client relationships and future service offerings.

Location:

Manchester City Centre

Salary:

Competitive, dependent on experience, plus bonus and benefits.

If you're an Intellectual Property lawyer who enjoys the work but feels there could be an opportunity to have greater influence, more autonomy and a clearer role in shaping the future of a practice, I'd be very happy to have a confidential conversation.

All enquiries will be handled in the strictest confidence.