Litigation Paralegal

Carpmaels & Ransford; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading intellectual property firm in the City of Westminster is seeking an ambitious paralegal to join their litigation team. The role offers the opportunity to contribute to patent and trademark litigation and involves extensive research, document preparation, and support during Court hearings. Ideal candidates will have a degree, excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and demonstrable legal experience, particularly in IP law. A dynamic work environment with career growth potential awaits.

Benefits

25 days' holiday, increasing by 1 day per year

Employer pension contribution of 5%

Private medical insurance

Life assurance of 4x base salary

Access to internal Mental Health First Aiders

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Demonstrable paralegal/legal experience is helpful, ideally in active litigation cases.
• Knowledge of IP litigation, particularly patents and trademarks, is required.
• Ability to communicate with employees at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research into patent and trademark litigation.
• Assist with preparation of evidence and exhibits.
• Provide support for Court hearings.

Skills

Organised

Interpersonal skills

Team player

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

IT abilities

Education

Educated to degree level or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams)

Job description

Overview

Working within the Litigation / Dispute Resolution team, with a particular focus on patents and trademarks, this role provides support to the litigation team. This position will report to our Litigation Paralegal Manager. The team has enjoyed rapid growth since its inception in October 2014. This role presents an exciting opportunity for an ambitious paralegal to work in a fast paced and stimulating environment with ample scope for growth and, in the longer term, potential to take on the management of their own caseload. Candidates with an interest or background in IP/Science/Technology may find this position of particular interest, as will candidates interested in supporting and contributing to the growth of a dynamic and highly ambitious litigation team.

Responsibilities

• Research into specific areas of patent and/or trademark litigation and case law, primarily in the UK but also throughout the EU from time to time.
• Assisting with the preparation of evidence and exhibits.
• Assisting with document disclosure review tasks.
• Preparation of bundles for internal and external use (both electronic and paper).
• Preparation of materials for use at Court hearings in accordance with relevant practice guide.
• Providing support for and attendance at Court during hearings including trials.
• Providing assistance with filing pleadings and case related documents on iManage and maintaining matter space as litigation progresses.
• Providing assistance and support with business development initiatives.
• Interaction with all fee earners within the group, to include integration into case specific teams in the run up to trial.
• In due course, assisting with the preparation of precedents and templates and/or the regular dissemination of key case law / practice direction updates to the litigation team.

Applicants can expect a welcoming two-way interview process, where there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions about the opportunity and to discover more about life at the firm.

Interview Process and Equal Opportunity

Typically, there will be a two-stage interview process where you will meet our Litigation Paralegal Manager and members of the wider DR team. Role-related written exercises will also be included during the interview process. We're committed to ensuring all candidates are treated equally and fairly, allowing them to perform at their best during the recruitment process. If you have a disability, if you're neurodivergent, or if you have a condition that you believe may affect your performance during our recruitment process, we encourage you to share your requirements for any adjustments in the relevant section of our application form, or via your recruitment agency. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch to discuss how best we can support you during each stage of the process.

Examples of adjustments may include:

• allowing extra time for assessments.
• providing some extra information about what to expect.
• additional rest breaks.
• adjusting room setup.
• a time of day that works for you.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Demonstrable paralegal/legal experience is helpful, ideally in active litigation cases and patents in particular.
• Knowledge of IP litigation, in particular patents and trademarks, and the various forums, such as but not limited to the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the EPO and/or the UKIPO.
• Team player.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Organised, diligent and methodical with attention to detail.
• Recognises the importance of and can meet deadlines and remain calm under pressure.
• A self-starter with the ability to work on own initiative.
• Previous experience of patents would be highly desirable.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to communicate with employees at all levels within the firm and across all Practice Groups and business support areas.
• Extensive IT abilities, to include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel (intermediate level), Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams) and ability to learn and use legal databases as required.
• Must be flexible as working outside core office hours may be required at short notice.

Company Culture

We are a leading European intellectual property firm, advising some of the world's most innovative and successful companies. Together, we help to improve lives by supporting innovation.

We hire talented and passionate people who think creatively and enjoy a challenge. Working collaboratively, we share our knowledge and experience across teams, actively learning from each other in a friendly and sociable environment. We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity of thought is vital to our business; it's how we approach challenges differently and offer our clients creative and original solutions. Through our work with organisations such as IP Inclusive, Stonewall and Business in the Community via the Race at Work Charter, we are putting the right steps in place to make sure that all our people feel supported and empowered to be themselves. Further information on our commitment to diversity and inclusion is available on our website. A healthy work/life balance is very important to us, and we run regular wellbeing events in addition to the large number of clubs and social activities that are available to everyone at the firm. We are also enthusiastic supporters of our local community through partnerships with the Social Mobility Foundation and Holborn Community Association.

Benefits

• 25 days' holiday, increasing by 1 day per year up to our maximum of 28 days.
• Employer pension contribution of 5% in your first year, with a minimum 3% employee contribution, increasing to 10% employer contribution after one year's service.
• Holiday buy scheme, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Holiday bonus, starting at £400 per year, increasing each year up to a maximum of £2,000.
• Private medical insurance via Bupa, where you'll be eligible to join the month following your start date. You will also have the option to add dependants, subject to a monthly cost.
• Free confidential access to 24/7 medical, mental, legal and financial wellbeing support via Health Assured and WeCare from your first day of employment.
• Access to internal Mental Health First Aiders, all of whom have completed the Mental Health First Aid England accredited training programme and champion wellbeing across the firm.
• Life assurance of 4x your base salary.
• Income protection, with cover for up to 5 years and compensating for up to 75% of your base salary.
• Cycle2Work scheme.
• Season ticket loan.
• Access to Payroll Giving or Give As You Earn (GAYE) which allows you to donate to charity through your monthly pay.
• We're passionate about the benefits of corporate volunteering and offer all employees 1 paid volunteer day per year.

Family and Life-Friendly Policies

We're very proud of our collegiate culture and the value that working together brings. Through our commitment to enabling everyone to do their best work, we offer a range of family and life-friendly policies. This includes competitive enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, surrogacy and shared parental leave schemes, if you've been with us for at least 26 weeks. Furthermore, our fertility policy aims to assist employees with both the logistical and emotional aspects of undergoing fertility treatment. This includes paid leave of up to five days for fertility treatment. We also recognise the needs of balancing home life around the requirements of your role. Depending on the work you do and your team, we offer informal arrangements such as hybrid and agile working, as well as more formal arrangements such as flexible hours and part-time working. We're very happy to discuss flexible and life-friendly working options during the recruitment process and upon joining us.