Check out our latest opportunities
Are you interested in joining one of the UK’s largest specialist intellectual property firms? Check out our current vacancies below to see if there’s something that matches your skills and ambitions and click ‘apply’ – we’d love to hear from you.
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Job description
We are looking to recruit a Trainee Trade Mark Attorney to join our established trade mark team based working out of our head office in Birmingham.
Candidates will need to have a minimum 2:1 degree, either in Law or English (Language or Literature). Ideally candidates will have some relevant work experience.
We would expect to see excellent organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure, great attention to detail and very good communication skills.
For the successful candidate, funding will be provided (subject to certain conditions) in order to undertake the qualification course. Additionally, a structured training programme will be provided and you will work directly with a qualified attorney as well as having exposure to other attorneys and support staff in order to gain full experience of the profession. It is expected that for the first six months you will work alongside our trade mark paralegal team learning in detail how our paralegals support the attorney team.
Trainees are given a training budget and study leave as well as a comprehensive benefits package, which includes bonus, contributory pension, life assurance, private medical insurance and permanent health insurance.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR Department at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
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Job description
We are currently seeking a Trainee Patent Attorney to work with our Birmingham team.
We are looking for candidates with a Chemistry or Chemical Engineering degree to join the existing team.
Graduates should have a minimum 2:1 degree and should be highly motivated with good interpersonal skills. An interest in law as well as a knowledge of French or German would be advantageous, although not essential.
For all our trainee positions, a structured training programme is provided and each trainee will work directly with a qualified attorney as well as having exposure to other attorneys and support staff in order to gain a full experience of the profession.
Trainees are given a training budget as well as a comprehensive benefits package which includes bonus, contributory pension, life insurance, private medical insurance and permanent health insurance.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR Department at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
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Job description
We are currently looking to recruit a new position of Electronic Billing Controller in Accounts on a full time, permanent basis to join the Finance team in Birmingham.
The role is to take responsibility for ensuring the smooth and accurate functioning of the electronic invoicing of clients which will include uploading invoices to client platforms and proactively dealing with any queries that arise.
Primary responsibilities will include communicating changes in electronic billing procedures to fee earners, paralegals and other accounts staff; routine monitoring and logging invoice progress ensuring client approval and working closely with the fee earners to resolve any issues causing delays, including escalation to the relevant Partner as appropriate.
They will be additionally responsible with the fee earner for ensuring that Work in Progress is billed out regularly. This will include the need to robustly challenge where items appear to be old or have not moved and ensuring that items are written off where we do not have a realistic chance of billing the client in the future.
The successful candidate will also be expected to provide support on the sales ledger including raising sales invoices during busy periods and keeping fee earners informed of progress and monitoring the Sales Inbox.
Candidates will need to have prior experience of at least one electronic invoicing platform and experience with Legal Tracker and /or LEDES file formats would be a significant advantage. Prior experience of working with cost ledgers for a professional services firm will also be required.
They will also need excellent Excel skills including VLOOKUP and nested IF statements and be proficient with Microsoft Word. They will need to hold GSCE Maths and English (or equivalent) to Grade B/6 or higher.
Knowledge of Sales 300 (and in particular Intelligence Reporting) whilst not essential would be a distinct advantage.
The role requires strong personal skills and in addition to the technical experience we are seeking candidates who are comfortable working autonomously from their manager and working directly with fee earners and Partners to move matters on. They will require initiative and great communication skills together with a high attention to detail and a proactive approach to resolving issues.
This is a busy role and ability to deal with a demanding workload independently and with a positive manner is a must.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR Department at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
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Job description
We are currently looking to recruit a Renewals Clerk with responsibility for effectively maintaining the renewals part of the records system, processing reminders and instructions, payment of fees and updating records.
There is a requirement in this role to deal with large volumes of work and to operate within strict timeframes. It is imperative therefore that the jobholder can be relied upon to organise and manage their own workload on a day-to-day basis and immediately flag issues that may compromise the renewals process or deadlines. A high level of attention to detail is of paramount importance.
The job holder will be expected to liaise regularly with both clients and fee earners, so a clear and confident communication style is required, via telephone, email and face to face (where possible of course), together with an appreciation of the need to provide quality and accurate information at all times.
This is a busy team, and the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate pace and enthusiasm and the ability to think on their feet and multi-task without impacting the quality of their work. Self-motivation and a sense of accountability for their own responsibilities will be key whilst also working effectively as part of a team.
Ideally candidates will have some previous experience of working in a renewals or records environment where strict adherence to process and the maintenance of controls are paramount. Additionally, it would be expected that they will be numerate. Knowledge of IP practices in different countries would be desirable.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR Department at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
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Apply Now Permanent Position
Job description
We are currently seeking Trainee Patent Attorneys to work with our Birmingham team.
We are looking for candidates with Physics, Electronics, Software and/or Technology, Computer Science degree to join the existing team.
Candidates with a combined degree of mechanical/electronic engineering and software may also be considered.Graduates should have a minimum 2:1 degree and should be highly motivated with good interpersonal skills. An interest in law as well as a knowledge of French or German would be advantageous, although not essential.
For all our trainee positions, a structured training programme is provided and each trainee will work directly with a qualified attorney as well as having exposure to other attorneys and support staff in order to gain a full experience of the profession.
Trainees are given a training budget as well as a comprehensive benefits package which includes bonus, contributory pension, life insurance, private medical insurance and permanent health insurance.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR Department at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
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New opportunities for Trade Mark Attorneys – Part qualified up to 3 years PQE Birmingham See detailsApply Now Permanent Position
Job description
We are looking for additional attorneys to join our friendly, busy and highly successful team working out of the Birmingham office.
We have a huge breadth of experience in the team with a wide range of skills and backgrounds with the expertise to generate large amounts of new business in addition to providing a pro-active and person centered service to our existing client base
Qualified Trade Mark Attorney
Candidates can be newly qualified through to 3 years PQE and ideally have experience of working within private practice. You should be enthusiastic and dynamic and prepared to get immediately involved in a very busy department, working with the whole Trade Mark team providing great service to our clients.
Part Qualified trade Mark Attorney
Trainee candidates will need to have a minimum 2:1 degree, preferably in Law or English and be part qualified. Ideal candidates will have successfully completed the Queen Mary’s Certificate in Trade Mark Law and Practice or the Bournemouth University Post Graduate Certificate in IP law and ideally will have a couple of years relevant work experience. We would expect to see excellent organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure, a great attention to detail and very good communications skills.
For the successful candidate, funding will be provided (subject to certain conditions) in order to undertake the Nottingham Law School full course. Additionally a structured training programme will be provided and you will work directly with a qualified attorney as well as having exposure to other attorneys and support staff in order to gain full experience of the profession.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package including competitive salary, dependent on experience, bonus, contributory pension, private medical insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance and support with travel costs if required. While positions are based from our Birmingham office , we are also supporting partial homeworking.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR Department at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
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Apply Now Permanent Position
Job description
We are seeking qualified/part qualified patent attorneys with high tech, physics, telecoms, electronics backgrounds to work with our Birmingham based attorney team. Mechanical engineering with software/electronics will also be considered.
Successful candidates will work closely with the lead partner in the group and will work pro-actively to contribute towards the development of the group and of the business – an enthusiastic, dynamic and outgoing approach to work is therefore essential. The successful candidate will also have the ability to work independently and to work directly with small, medium and large industrial clients and universities in the UK and overseas, as well as universities and overseas firms of Attorneys. There is a good body of existing work and in addition to this the successful candidates will have the brief to grow their own portfolio of clients with a view to becoming independently busy over time.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package including bonus, contributory pension, private medical insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, car parking and/or travel loan. Salary is dependent on experience.
For any further information, or to apply, please contact our HR recruitment team at: recruitment@barkerbrettell.co.uk.
A great place to work
We always aim to recruit capable, intelligent and enthusiastic team players who, by working effectively together, can provide exemplary client service – and at the same time, create a great place to grow. We recognise and reward effort and hard work because we know that retaining good people is essential to our present – and our future.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all our staff and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.
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Having spent the last five years in the public sector, I was keen for a new challenge. I wanted to develop the skills I had gained and use them in a career that would enable to me develop and continually learn. IP was completely new to me but I was really interested in the scope and variety offered with this role. I was impressed by the personal and friendly nature of the company – everyone throughout the organisation was approachable and I was made to feel really comfortable. Every day continues to be challenging and I am constantly learning different aspects of IP, both with regards to patents and trade marks. I would certainly recommend working here for anyone interested in a career in IP. If you want a challenge and the rewards that come with hard work, this firm will certainly deliver.
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When I joined the firm in 1996, I was the only trade mark trainee attorney, assisting two partners. Since then, the trade mark team has grown from three to 15 attorneys and trainees. I stayed with the firm for two reasons – my clients and the Barker Brettell team. I’ve formed deep working relationships with many of my clients and I would hate to lose those, while the team is like a close-knit family. We’ve been through a lot together over the years, professionally and personally, and there’s a very nurturing and supportive environment. We’re very collaborative and we offer a great training platform - our trainees are our future partners and so we do what we can to support them. As one of the largest trade mark teams in the country, we deal with some very exciting clients with challenging legal issues which means people joining the firm experience a broad spectrum of work. We provide excellent on the job training which results in trainees acquiring not only the technical knowledge they need to progress but more importantly, the ability to apply that technical knowledge in a commercial and practical way.
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I was drawn to Barker Brettell because I thought the firm’s values and attitude closely matched my own and that we’d be a good fit for each other. I thought working here would enable me to pursue new opportunities, reach new goals and be part of a big and successful team. Since joining, I’ve been promoted to partner in less than a year; have launched the firm’s specialist designs group and work on a huge variety of cases. Moving to a new firm after more than a decade with a competitor was daunting, but I have no regrets at all. Barker Brettell provides many opportunities for budding patent and trade mark attorneys – it’s a forward thinking firm that never sits still and doesn’t take itself for granted. We always strive for more.
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I joined Barker Brettell straight from college in 1977. I left in 1983 to have my children but was asked back a few years later to provide holiday and maternity cover, and I’ve been here ever since! I had no idea what patent attorneys did at first but found it all very interesting – and still do all these years later. The team I work in is kept very busy but there’s a good team atmosphere and we all get on well. The whole firm is a nice place to work; staff are friendly and the partnership looks after us well. We do our best to provide a good level of client care at all times so the firm’s reputation can be upheld. If you are prepared to work hard and go that extra mile you will find it really enjoyable and will do well.