Trade mark attorney
Trade mark attorneys advise clients about registering and protecting their brand designs, logos and packaging by using trade marks.
- Starter salary£30,000 a year
- Experienced£90,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a trade mark attorney, you could:
- research information to see if a proposed trade mark already exists
- advise on intellectual property issues like design and copyright
- draw up trade mark applications and agreements
- deal with UK and overseas registration authorities
- negotiate in disputes and take action if the client's trade mark rights are breached
- provide support to solicitors and barristers in cases that go to court
- handle renewals of existing trade marks, transfer of ownership and licensing
Working environment
You could work in an office, at a client's business or in a court.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- persuading skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- analytical thinking skills
- the ability to work well under pressure
- excellent written communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a trade mark attorney
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You'll usually need a first class or upper second class degree, or postgraduate qualification, to apply for a training place with a company.
Most subjects are acceptable, though you may have an advantage with:
- law
- science
- engineering
- languages
After university, you would start as a trainee with a private practice of trade mark attorneys, or a large company with an in-house intellectual property department. You would study for professional exams. You'll also need 2 years' work experience to qualify.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
Work
You may be able to work your way up from a trade mark administrator, researcher or paralegal role.
To do this, you'll need a good level of general education, such as GCSEs, including English and maths, and A levels or equivalent qualifications .
You'll also need around 5 years' experience before you can apply for professional training to begin the route to qualifying as a trade mark attorney.
Direct application
You can apply for professional training with a firm to become a trade mark attorney, if you're a qualified solicitor or barrister .
Career path and progression
You might specialise, for example, in information technology, pharmaceuticals or food and drinks production.
With experience, you could move into senior management or partnership in a trade mark company.
You could also apply for Chartered Trade Mark Attorney status , which is a recognition of your skills and expertise in this profession.
Career tips
You can work as a trade mark translator if you have a degree in languages and postgraduate qualification in translating.
Registration
- you will need to register with the Intellectual Property Regulation Board
Guides for this industry
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