IP Assistant

The Boston office of Nelson Mullins seeks an IP Assistant to work within the practice’s IP Quality Assurance department supporting two teams of patent and trademark prosecution timekeepers. The IP Assistant will provide an essential quality control and procedural function within the group to ensure the highest standards of work product to adhere to Firm and IP best practices. This role requires in-depth knowledge and experience regarding IP prosecution requirements.

The role involves conducting a detailed quality review of all U.S. and foreign patent and trademark filings as well as foreign agent order letters within the IP group firmwide before their submission to prevent errors that could impact client costs or invalidate IP assets. Additionally, the position entails reviewing and double-checking work product produced by the practice’s Docketing and Annuities departments across the firm, liaising with the Docketing department to ensure daily docket clearance of all deadlines, and reviewing vendor drawings and work product for accuracy. The individual provides support for the clerical team regarding centralized email saving and naming convention processes and serves as a knowledge and tactical resource, including contributing to formulating best practices as a member of the group’s Procedures Committee. They coordinate intake, conduct matter review, patent office filings, and file audits related to incoming file transfers, as well as manage, track, and complete large or long-term projects as requested by attorneys/clients or required by patent office rules. Furthermore, the role involves providing backup/overflow support for IP Assistants, Docketing, and Foreign Filing during high volume/complex work periods, offering occasional coverage outside of business hours when necessary, participating in IP onboarding/exit processes, training new and existing staff, and educating staff and legal teams on rules and changes/updates. The individual administrates the IPDAS database, serves as a resource for IP procedural questions in both the Southeast and Boston IP Groups, reviews errors/issues based on incoming USPTO communications, and provides recommendations for correction. Additionally, they maintain and update filing checklists for quality control purposes and to reflect updates to rules or internal best practices, as well as participate in the group’s drafting and distribution of client IP Alerts regarding IP law changes.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years of patent and trademark experience, preferably in a high-volume law firm environment. Candidate should have strong organizational and prioritization skills, impeccable attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, experience researching patent law rules and procedures and the ability to synthesize and communicate this information, the ability to stay calm under pressure, and should be team oriented. Experience with CPI, IPDAS, and quality control functions are a plus.

With over 1,000 attorneys and professionals, Nelson Mullins has strong roots in the business community and an appreciation for new directions in the business world. As a Firm, Nelson Mullins has a strong foundation of community service and good citizenship. Our administrative professionals likewise promote these values, with opportunities o participate and play roles in various pro bono and community service initiatives. We collaborate with each other and with our clients, working side-by-side toward shared goals.