Lewis Silkin works with leading businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets - their ideas, their people, their brand and their future. We call it: Ideas. People. Possibilities.
With offices in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Belfast, Dublin and Hong Kong, we are recognised by clients and industry alike as being distinct for our unique culture, market-leading practice areas, sector focused approach and for providing solutions to complex, multijurisdictional business challenges, with a pragmatic and human touch. We have two things at our core: people — both ours and our clients’— and a focus on creative, tech and innovative businesses.
Our culture is encapsulated by an ethos of bravery and kindness, guided by our values of Integrity, Clarity, Unity and Excellence (our ‘I-CUE’). We aim to provide a supportive environment for our people, clients and wider community and embrace diversity & inclusion, ensuring people are able to bring their full selves to work. |
CREATORS, MAKERS AND INNOVATORS
With 62 partners and more than 350 staff, the firm is structured around two key divisions: Creators, Makers and Innovators (CMI) and Employment, Immigration and Reward (EIR). The CMI division is made up of leading advisers for creative, innovative and brand-focused businesses, offering a deep understanding of the industry sectors in which clients operate combined with real expertise across a wide range of legal services.
Our CMI lawyers have decades of experience both within the creative industries and as legal advisers with in depth knowledge and experience of the many sectors that make up the creative world, including advertising and marketing, entertainment and media, fashion, hospitality, technology, retail and sports.
THE IP TEAM
We have a substantial IP practice group within CMI comprised of over 50 lawyers, attorneys and specialist support staff practising in this area. The group includes a team of lawyers focused upon handling IP disputes, plus thriving patent and trade mark filing and prosecution practices. We are recognised in Chambers, Legal 500 and WTR for a number of IP-related fields including patent and trade mark filing & prosecution, IP litigation, advertising, brand management, IT, reputation management, sport and media & entertainment. |
The role involves working alongside the existing Managing PDL already assigned to the IP group so as to maintain and enhance the specialist IP support provided within the group, as well as to the wider firm and its clients. It is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves IP law and the technical side of being an IP lawyer, and who enjoys developing and sharing their expertise within a team environment.
The PDL will report to and work collaboratively with the Managing PDL across a wide range of practice development and professional support activities, including:
- overseeing, editing and writing client alerts and publications;
- delivering legal updates for the IP group and wider CMI division;
- organising and delivering IP training for the group and wider division;
- maintaining and developing precedents and knowledge materials for the IP group;
- assisting members of the IP group with complex or detailed legal research;
- responding to ad hoc (usually technical) enquiries from the group or wider division;
- coordinating knowledge projects and associated business development work;
- supporting the IP group’s client training programme and conference speaking.
Specific areas of focus and responsibility for this role will include:
- writing regular blog posts for the Lewis Silkin Intellectual Property & Brands blog;
- writing and working with colleagues to create IP content for the firm’s website and intranet, and for external publications;
- responding to research requests and ad hoc queries on IP law topics;
- working with colleagues across the IP group to identify, develop and share precedent documents and useful know how;
- ensuring that IP know-how and precedents are appropriately stored, searchable and retrievable across all relevant internal channels (including Teams, intranet, document management system, etc);
- presenting and explaining an item at each of the IP group’s monthly IP Know How (current awareness) meetings;
- managing the IP group’s programme of additional, more focused, training sessions (and on occasion researching and delivering such training);
- conducting induction training for new recruits and for trainees when first joining the IP group;
- researching and sharing external training opportunities suitable for IP group members, monitoring and maintaining the group’s budget for external training in consultation with the group’s Knowledge Partner;
- collaborating with the Managing PDL for IP and the group’s Knowledge Partner in formulating and delivering against the IP group’s Knowledge Plan.
PROFILE
The successful candidate will be an IP lawyer of 2-5+ years’ PQE, looking to move into a part-time PDL role or already working in such a role. Candidates must have excellent academics, and a demonstrable knowledge of IP law and practice (experience of IP litigation and/or UKIPO/EUIPO procedures would be an advantage). The right candidate will also have strong writing, research, analytical and organisational skills, and a clear communication style (both spoken and written) - a flair for drafting/journalism will be an advantage. Good practical knowledge of IT and Know How systems would be helpful, together with experience of using on-line legal and IP information systems.
The candidate must be a team player with strong interpersonal skills, who will enjoy working collaboratively with the Managing PDL to support a fast-paced professional and friendly team. At the same time, the successful candidate will also be able to demonstrate that they are a self-starter, happy to work independently and using personal initiative to pursue agreed responsibilities and objectives.
This role is a part-time role and flexible working patterns would be considered. It is a unique opportunity to take on a role alongside an established PDL, supporting a leading IP law practice with a wide range of work for a diverse client base. |
At Lewis Silkin our ethos is simple. We strive to do the best for our clients, our people and the communities in which we operate. We recognise that an inclusive workplace allows for all kinds of ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view that can trigger discussions or deliver innovative results, and a wide range of versatile skills and expertise. We are proud of the diversity within Lewis Silkin and of our culture that allows people to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. We are committed to finding the right person for this role and are open to discussing flexible working patterns and office location. |