Trade mark attorney
Trade mark attorneys advise clients about registering and protecting designs and trade marks.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
In this role you could:
- carry out searches to see if a proposed trade mark already exists
- advise on intellectual property issues like design and copyright
- draw up contracts
- 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 if a case goes 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.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move into senior management or partnership in a trade mark firm.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- persuading skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- excellent verbal communication skills
- active listening skills
- analytical thinking skills
- excellent written communication skills
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- working towards this role
- applying directly
You'll usually need an upper second class degree or higher, 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
More Information
You may be able to work your way up from a trade mark administrator or paralegal role.
To do this, you'll need a good level of general education including GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths.
You'll also need around 5 years' experience before you can apply for professional training to qualify as a trade mark attorney.
You can apply for professional training with a firm to become a trade mark attorney, if you're a qualified solicitor or barrister.
Registration
- you will need to register with the Intellectual Property Regulation Board
Further information
You'll find more advice about training to become a trade mark attorney from The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys.
Related careers
Related videos
Suggested videos
Coffee With is in early release mode with a limited number of videos. New videos are being added every week, so please check back for updates.
External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.