Patent Agent

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us.  Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

We are seeking to hire a number of Patent Agents and/or Technical Specialists to join our firm wide Intellectual Property practice. These positions can reside in any of the K&L Gates US office locations. We are looking for someone who wants to work on patent applications in the hard sciences area, such as electrical engineers, computer scientists, computer engineers, mechanical engineers, physicists or material scientists. Still others, who work on patent applications in the life sciences area, are biologists, chemists, organic chemists, geneticists, neuroscientists, medical doctors or chemical engineers.  Our work is varied over the hard sciences and life sciences and we have needs across the country. 

Patent agents and Technical Specialist support lawyers on patent prosecution matters and specifically perform tasks including, but not limited to, analyzing invention disclosures, performing patent searches, drafting patent applications, preparing office action responses, and generating other documents in support of patent prosecution matters.  From time to time, patent agents will also work closely with and under the supervision of lawyers to support patent litigation, perform due diligence, and support other legal activities.                                                                                                                                                                       

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:
 
•   Drafting patent applications and prosecuting patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
•   Analyzing scientific or technical documents, including previously published patent documents, to assess an invention or issued patent.
•   Drafting detailed descriptions of inventions in precise legal terms (patent drafts), which form the basis for patents to be granted by patent offices in various parts of the world.
•   Preparing information disclosure statements, declarations, and other patent prosecution related materials.
•   Managing a U.S. and foreign patent prosecution docket such that deadlines are met.
•   Conducting interviews with examiners at the USPTO.
•   Keeping up to date with legal developments in the intellectual property field.
  
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required: 
 
•   Must possess a Bachelor’s Degree and/or advanced degree (M.S, Ph. D) in science or technical field (i.e., chemistry, biology, civil, electrical or mechanical engineering).
•   Patent Agent candidates must be admitted to practice before the USPTO.
•   Technical Specialist candidates only need a Bachelor’s degree in science or a technical field.
•   Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all contacts.
•   Highly organized and responsive, with demonstrated experience managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a changing and demanding environment. 
 
Candidates must be self-starters who possess the ability to work independently and as part of a team. We require strong academic credentials, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to providing the most responsive and highest quality client service. Candidates will work closely with experienced lawyers across the Intellectual Property platform who will provide active mentoring and opportunities to assume increasing levels of responsibility, including direct client contact, and to also participate in matters generated by global platform. 

Base Salary $100,000 - $250,000 / year

We are not accepting submissions from search firms at this time.#LI-PC1

As required by the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative Ordinance and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants for our Los Angeles and San Francisco offices with arrest and conviction records will be considered.

ABOUT THE FIRM

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world.  We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world. 

The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

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EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be based on merit, qualifications, competence, and business need. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of all unlawful harassment including, without limitation, that based on sex, race, age, disability, or national origin. The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR@klgates.com.