Trainee Patent Attorney – Biotechnology / Chemistry

Abel + Imray; London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading patent law firm in London is seeking a Trainee Patent Attorney to join their biotechnology and chemistry team. The role offers a dynamic environment with opportunities for growth and development in protecting innovations in various fields. Candidates should have a relevant degree and strong communication skills. You will receive support for training and qualifications, including the Intellectual Property Law Certificate. This firm values inclusion and diversity and offers a supportive workplace.

Qualifications

• You must hold or aim for a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a relevant subject.
• A grade A English Language GCSE or equivalent qualification is necessary.
• Post-graduate qualifications are valued but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Assist clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields to protect innovations.
• Engage in thorough training, including in-house and external courses.
• Work towards qualifying as a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney.

Skills

Clear and concise writing

Communication skills

Organizational abilities

Education

First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in biochemistry, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, molecular biology, immunology, or related subject

Job description

Abel + Imray, Trainee Patent Attorney – Biotechnology / Chemistry

Your legal career starts here, with a leading light in patent and trade mark law.

Based in: our London office
Closing date: 26 September 2025
Start date: flexible, but ideally during 2026

We live in exciting times, when innovations in fields such as science, engineering and technology are changing the way we live and work. At Abel + Imray, it’s our job to protect many of these ideas so they can flourish. You could be a major part of that.

We’re seeking one of the brightest minds to become a trainee patent attorney in our growing Chem/Bio team – joining a firm with a reputation for the highest professional standards and winning client relationships.

Those clients come from industries as diverse as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, petrochemicals and consumer products – fields you’ll immerse yourself in.

Inspired by pioneering inventions and ideas, you’ll be ready to offer up your technical expertise. In return, we’ll drive your career forwards (and upwards), making the best of your talents and focussing on exam success – all within a dynamic, inclusive working culture.

The opportunity

You won’t sit still here. This is a fast-paced, varied role where each day brings fresh challenges and exciting opportunities. It’s also the first step in a career with a forward-thinking firm that will constantly look at how you can help shape our future – and how we can further yours.

As a graduate, we’ll support you with thorough training. Mostly this will be in-house, but we’ll encourage you to explore further by attending lectures and taking external courses – in particular the 13-week Intellectual Property Law Certificate with Queen Mary, University of London. You’ll be working towards the examinations needed to qualify as a Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney.

The role will focus on serving clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields, seeking to protect innovations concerning antibodies, vaccines, drug delivery systems, engineered immune cells and small molecule drug candidates.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll like nothing more than a diverse workload that allows you to flex your intellectual talents. Being a patent attorney demands a blend of scientific and technical expertise, and specialist legal knowledge, so you’ll be a high-calibre graduate with a curious streak – and a problem-solver at heart.

• You will hold or be aiming for a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree (or the equivalent) in biochemistry, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, molecular biology, immunology, or a related subject.
• You will need to be a clear and concise writer with an aptitude for languages having a grade A English Language GCSE, Scottish Standard Grade/National 5 or corresponding qualification.
• Being a confident communicator is important, because you’ll be talking to everyone from the Chairman of an international corporation to a laboratory assistant from a niche scientific field.
• You could either be at the start of your career or looking for a new challenge following experience of working in industry in a relevant sector. Post-graduate qualifications are not essential, but would be valued.

Along with academic success and technical expertise, we value strong organisational and administrative abilities.

More about us

Put simply, we safeguard ideas. Specialising in patents, trade marks and registered designs, we counsel clients in intellectual property protection – from brand new start-ups to well-known conglomerates. That sees us dealing with IP offices in the UK, Europe and beyond.

In our Bath, Cardiff and London offices, we’ve been growing steadily. That’s set to continue, with a varied list of innovative, international clients spanning the chemical and biotechnology fields:

• Amazentis (advanced nutritional supplements)
• Cancer Research UK
• Imperial College London
• Norgine
• Oncopeptides and other companies based on work from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
• Sanofi
• Many drug development companies that are not be household names but carry out vital research into new treatments

Ours is a firm with a prestigious history, but one eye always on the future. From longstanding attorneys to brand new trainees, everyone who works here has a part to play in defining that future – and that will include you.

We’re proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. We treat everyone we work with – and for – fairly, and we respect diversity. That means nurturing each employee’s particular talents and supporting all to reach their personal goals. We also work hard to promote equality, diversity and inclusivity within the wider legal community we’re part of, as members of IP Inclusive.

How to apply

Please complete our application form by clicking on the button below.

The closing date for applications is 26 September 2025, and we plan to hold initial interviews in October or November. The successful candidates would then begin work in 2026, with some flexibility on the start date if required.

Please mention IP Careers when applying to Abel + Imray.