Associate (3-5 PQE) - IP

The Practice Group

The Intellectual Property team is renowned for its market-leading expertise. Set up over 20 years ago, lawyers in the group have acted in some of the most significant and influential IP disputes of recent years.

We are one of a select group of firms to have taken both patent (supplementary protection certificates) and trade mark cases to the Court of Justice of the European Union, with successful outcomes for our clients on each occasion. Our experience is wide and varied, ranging from cross-border patent revocation and infringement actions through to trade marks, designs and copyright litigation involving household brands, famous designs and celebrated artistic works, films and broadcasts. We also act extensively in 'IP adjacent' disputes, often concerning contractual claims over the exploitation of IP rights.

The team has been involved in some of the most well-known and highest profile IP disputes of the past decade including Sky v. SkyKick, adidas v. Thom Browne, Dr Reddy's v. Boehringer, Lupin v. Gilead, TVIS v. Howserv, easyGroup v. Nuclei, Jellycat v. Hamleys.

The group is particularly well known for its enforcement expertise and for pursuing damages under cross undertaking inquiries. Our lawyers routinely secure and enforce search and seizure orders, blocking injunctions, customs seizures and civil injunctions to disrupt counterfeit and grey market supply chains. The team secured the first blocking injunction based on rights in technical protection measures in Nintendo v BT and others and, as one of the few IP teams with in-house criminal prosecutors, has successfully undertaken private prosecutions for clients affected by IP crime.

The group is also at the forefront of affirmative recovery and litigation funding, identifying and investigating infringing supply chains, shutting them down and securing significant damages through settlement or court orders, recovering millions of pounds for clients. The team also has considerable experience securing litigation funding for claimants and defendants, enabling clients to pursue or defend claims off balance sheet.

Duties And Responsibilities

The role will involve advising on a varied range of IP disputes and related advisory work.

Most of the team's disputes are English court litigation, but a proportion of your work may include arbitration, and many disputes are resolved through ADR.

You will have every opportunity to engage in all aspects of the life and business of the IP Disputes team, the wider Innovation Department and the Firm, ranging from business development, client care, training and learning, social impact, health and well-being projects.

Skills/Experience

• The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years PQE gained within IP in private practice.
• A passion for IP, with a solid grounding in its basics, and a commitment to building a career in IP.
• A track record of acting in a variety of IP disputes, both pre-action and before the UK Courts and IP tribunals (notably the UK and EU IPOs).
• Good grounding in the CPR and the specialist IP court and tribunal rules
• At all times exercise excellent client care skills by advocating for clients from both a technical and commercial perspective ensuring their best interests are prioritised while understanding the current and future landscape.
• A technical (scientific) background is welcome but not essential
• Excellent written and interpersonal skills.
• Able to manage a diverse portfolio of client work allocated by the Partners.
• Able to work independently and manage a varied workload, ensuring excellent communication lines with Matter Partners and other fee-earners in the team.
• Excellent team working skills.
• Strong organisational and prioritising skills, in order to meet the demands of challenging and commercial internal and external clients and competing priorities.
• Personable and confident, able to ensure good working relationships with colleagues, clients and external organisations.
• Resilient and calm under pressure.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrates a hunger to undertake business development activities, both internally amongst colleagues across the firm, and externally to existing and potential new clients.
• Takes responsibility for and attends to self-development.
• Use knowledge, AI and other technology to develop business opportunities, add value to key client relationships, and bring efficiencies to client service delivery.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

About Mishcon De Reya LLP

Mishcon de Reya is an independent law firm, which now employs over 1400 people withmore than 650 lawyers offering a wide range of legal services to companies and individuals. The firm has grown rapidly in recent years, showing more than 40% revenue growth in the past five years alone.

With presence in London,Oxford, Cambridge,Singapore, Hong Kong and UAE, the firm services an international community of clients and provides advice in situations where the constraints of geography often do not apply.

The work the firm undertakes is cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex, centred around three increasingly entwined and connected sectors: the Innovation Economy, Private Wealth and Capital, and Real Estate. The firm is known as a disputes powerhouse with a formidable capacity firmwide for dispute resolution.

We strive to create a fully diverse and inclusive workplace where all our people are empowered to fulfil their potential. We are proud of our agile working culture and are always happy to talk flexible working.