Patent Prosecution Assistant (hybrid)

Job Description

Job Description

About the job

Merchant & Gould , one of the nation's premier intellectual property law firms, is seeking a Patent Prosecution Assistant. This position may be located in any of our office locations (Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, Knoxville, New York, Alexandria,VA). The salary range for this position is $45,000 - 65,000, based on years of experience and geographical location.

In order to perform one (1) or more essential functions of this role, a minimum of three (3) days in the office is required.

Summary of Position :

Working collaboratively with the client team members, provide administrative assistance to paralegals and attorneys in prosecuting patent applications in the United States.

Responsibilities :

1.       Reviews incoming correspondence from foreign associates for essential docketing and for responses due.

2.       Assists with opening new matter files and drafting reporting letters to foreign associates for upcoming deadlines.

3.       Reviews and reports out client related U.S. Patent and Trademark Office formalities including Filing Receipt, Publications and Letters Patent.

4.       Assists paralegals and attorneys with review and processing of incoming correspondence from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and confirms docketed properly.

5.        Prepares documents for filing with the USPTO which may include Patent Applications, Preliminary Amendments, Information Disclosure Statements, Responses to Missing Parts, Assignments, RCE’s, Notice of Allowance, Appeals, payments of Issue Fees, etc.

6.       Assists with invoicing clients in relation to filed Applications, responses Office Actions, Notice of Allowance and Issue Fees (including mailing copies of the documents).

7.       On-going verbal and written communication with attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants and clients.

8.       Other tasks and projects as may be assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required :

• BA degree and / or paralegal certificate or relevant experience (preferred, but not required)
• 2-5 years patent prosecution experience (preferred, but not required)
• Ability to work independently and meet critical deadlines under supervision of paralegals and attorneys.
• Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time   constraints.
• Excellent written, verbal and proofreading skills required.
• Ability to work comfortably with advanced computer software and effectively use and maintain a computer database.  Experience with Microsoft Office Suite required.
• Interpersonal skills necessary in order to communicate and follow instructions from a diverse group, including clients, attorneys and others, and to provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact.
• High level of responsibility, dedication and accuracy required.
• Work on rare occasions requires more than 37.5 hours per week to perform essential duties of the job; may occasionally require irregular hours.
• Regular attendance at work.

We are equally committed to providing competitive, affordable health and wellness benefits to help take care of yourself and your family, including : a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package that includes employee medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability, 401(k) match, and ten firm holidays.

Merchant & Gould provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. We welcome candidates with disabilities. If you need any accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please contact our Human Resources Department at 1-612-332-5300.

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