Trade Mark Attorney, Associate

The firm

Bristows is a market leading law firm with a global client base across our core sectors of life sciences and technology. The firm has maintained its high standing in the market with the exceptional quality of our lawyers, the strength of our scientific and legal expertise and our unique firm culture driven by our core values.

The team

The BDC team currently consists of five Partners; Nellie Jackson, Paul Jordan, Ian Gruselle, Jeremy Blum and Simon Clark. Across the department there are both qualified solicitors and trade mark attorneys, along with an effective trade mark paralegal team to support them.

This role will primarily work with Nellie, PJ and Ian who are looking to recruit a qualified solicitor or trade mark attorney with 6 to 10 years' experience working on a broad range of trade mark portfolio management, including both contentious and non-contentious Registry matters.

Key responsibilities

• Trade mark and design portfolio management
• Brand clearance, protection and maintenance; and the provision of strategic advice regarding the same
• Management and conduct of contentious Registry actions at the UK and EU IPOs, and management of overseas actions
• Negotiating and drafting co-existence and settlement agreements
• Supervision of trade mark paralegals and junior team members

Skills & experience

• A good team player with a personable nature – who can show a genuine interest and enthusiasm for trade marks and IP generally
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail
• Leadership and organisation skills
• Qualified solicitor or trade mark attorney

Our values & culture

With around 300 staff and partners in total and one UK location, we are able to maintain a friendly atmosphere where everyone is able to get to know each other and many policies and practices can operate on a trust basis.

We are based in modern offices at Blackfriars and very much value face to face collaboration and the social element of working relationships. We have introduced a Remote Working Policy which enables staff to work in an agile way – we do not monitor attendance but simply ask that everyone spends more time in the office than out of it, typically three days a week for full time staff.

Our firm values, which we very much "live", are Ambition, Bravery, Curiosity and Friendliness. These underpin all that we do across both our client work and our internal strategic decision making. We are signatories to the Mindful Business Charter and take our commitment to staff welfare and work life balance very seriously.

None of our lawyers have billing targets which means we can focus on doing the best for our clients while also having the time and capacity to assist each other in a genuinely collaborative working culture. No one is competing for hours and everyone knows they can enjoy downtime when it arrives.

Training & career progression

We aim to have a coaching culture with regular informal feedback to supplement the formal appraisal process. Mentoring schemes are available for fee earners while members of the HR team can provide personal coaching and guidance in non-legal and personal management skills. Personal and professional development is much valued at all levels so we have a generous budget which enables us to meet most ad hoc requests for additional training.

Reward & benefits

Our salary and bonus structure reflects our absence of billing targets and collaborative culture and any bonus is paid as a simple percentage bonus across the whole firm. We have a flexible benefits package that is kept under regular review and is designed with the wellbeing of our staff and their families.

Diversity & inclusion

At Bristows we are committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion for all, and we are a proud signatory of the Law Society's Diversity and Inclusion Charter. As a firm, and as individuals, we do all we can to treat people fairly and with mutual respect. This commitment enriches our work and our working lives and has played a key part in our success over the years.

We have an active, partner-led Diversity & Inclusion group which runs awareness raising and educational initiatives in addition to ensuring that our policies and procedures remain inclusive. Our Wellbeing Programme is championed at partner level and is structured around the pillars of Physical, Mental, Financial and Community wellbeing with an annual programme of events, educational activities and support.

It is our policy to provide equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants in relation to recruitment, selection, pay, training, working conditions and promotion opportunities regardless of age, disability, gender, gender affirmation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. For more information about EDI policies and practices at the firm, please see here.

For more information on our firm values, see here.

Visit website