IP Litigation Legal Secretary/Practice Assistant

Honigman LLP; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare and disability insurance

401K and profit sharing

Generous All Purpose Leave

Well-being programs

Learning and development programs

Job summary

A leading law firm in Michigan is looking for an IP Litigation Legal Secretary/Practice Assistant to provide high-quality administrative support. The role involves working closely with litigation attorneys, preparing court documents, and managing confidential files. A successful candidate should have at least 5 years of experience, familiarity with federal litigation processes, and advanced skills in MS Office. The position offers a base salary ranging from $60,000 to $70,000, along with a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Litigation Legal Secretary.
• Familiarity with federal litigation, particularly intellectual property.
• Proficiency in MS Word and Outlook, plus ability to learn new software quickly.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and secretarial support to IP litigation attorneys.
• Prepare litigation-related assignments like pleadings and court filings.
• Maintain attorney calendars and manage confidential documents.

Skills

Legal writing and communication skills

MS Office Suite proficiency

Attention to detail

Ability to prioritize assignments

Problem-solving skills

Education

College degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

FileSite

ECF (Electronic Court Filing)

Job description

IP Litigation Legal Secretary/Practice Assistant

Base pay range

$60,000.00/yr - $70,000.00/yr

Honigman is a premier business law firm, based in Michigan with an international practice. Honigman is consistently recognized as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Places to Work, we earned this recognition by recruiting attorneys and staff members with outstanding credentials. Currently, we are looking for an IP Litigation Legal Secretary /Practice Assistant in our Ann Arbor. In addition to our Ann Arbor Office, we have offices in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Bloomfield Hills, Kalamazoo, Chicago, IL, Detroit, MI, and Washington D.C. With more than 350 attorneys working in 60 different areas of concentration, Honigman provides timely and cost-effective counsel to clients in numerous industries.

JOB SUMMARY

Under the supervision of the Office Administrator, the Intellectual Property (IP) Litigation Legal Secretary/Practice Assistant will provide high-quality administrative and secretarial support to attorneys. The position requires a professional, highly motivated, intellectually curious, organized self-starter with the ability to anticipate needs of assigned attorneys, calendar events, format legal documents, and support ongoing matters. The position requires superior writing and communication skills, software skills including MS Office Suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Nuance and document management systems.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with IP litigation attorneys involving the preparation of litigation related assignments including pleadings, discovery, correspondence, court filings, etc. along with clerical assignments as delegated.
• Frequently prepares documents to be electronically filed in Federal Courts.
• If unfamiliar, will learn to assist with preparing and filing documents in post-grant patent proceedings (inter partes reviews and post grant reviews) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB).
• If unfamiliar, will learn to facilitate filings with the International Trade Commission relative to unfair import investigations.
• Prioritizes assignments and prepares often sensitive and detailed correspondence, such as responses to requests for information or regularly recurring reports, from rough draft or dictation.
• Prepares other routine as well as non-routine correspondence, legal documents, forms, presentations and the like using advanced knowledge and skills with word processing related and other software programs.
• Conducts searches within PACER; calendaring litigation dates and maintains attorney calendars.
• Identifies, marks and creates Table of Authorities; demonstrates knowledge of the deposition processes; provides trial support; maintains litigation binders/logs.
• Efficiently proofreads and edits text for grammatical and typographical errors, and occasionally for content.
• Schedules appointments, makes travel and/or meeting arrangements, and maintains business calendars as instructed.
• Effectively establishes and maintains well-organized files, while managing the integrity of original client documents.
• Prepares bills for mailing, maintains billing records, and accurately enters attorney time.
• Performs related general office duties such as monitoring and collating, assembling and distributing documents.
• Maintains confidentiality, assures work product is accurate and presented professionally, and makes efforts to foster a positive rapport with all internal and external contacts.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years prior work experience as a Litigation Legal Secretary.
• Demonstrates familiarity with federal commercial litigation. Familiarity with intellectual property litigation processes is a plus.
• College degree or equivalent work experience required.
• Proven experience with litigation work in the Federal Courts.
• Experience working on matters before the Patent and Trial Appeal Board (PTAB) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) as well as International Trade Commission (ITC) matters is preferred but not required.
• Advanced use of MS Word and Outlook (or compatible e‑mail application), as well as an ability to quickly learn and effectively utilize other applications as well as electronic court filing software applications.
• Proficiency in the use of FileSite and ECF (Electronic Court Filing).
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills in order to use various features of multiple software programs (including word processing, footnotes, redlining, copying/pasting, Best Authority). May require specialized terminology skills.
• Ability to efficiently read and write in order to proof and edit non‑routine correspondence, reports and tables for typographical (spelling and grammar) errors, and sentence structure, as well as draft routine correspondence, perform non‑complex arithmetic calculations, and organize and maintain record keeping and filing systems.
• Ability to work with multiple attorneys and prioritize assignments.
• High‑level communication skills with social sensitivity and in‑depth knowledge of department procedures to communicate effectively with staff and management within and outside the department and external contacts, including clients.
• Must be a detail‑oriented problem solver, willing to work and think with independence, handle confidential information with discretion, and accept responsibility for producing work that is consistently complete, timely, effective and accurate.
• Ability to follow and convey instructions effectively with a high degree of courtesy and tact including ability to independently follow‑up on open items.
• Ability to work overtime, when needed.

Pay Range and Compensation Package

Honigman provides a generous total compensation package, which includes comprehensive health and well‑being benefits, as well as 401k and profit sharing. The anticipated annual pay range for this role is $60,000 to $70,000 (non‑exempt). The actual offered pay rate will be determined based on various factors, including qualifications, experience, geographic location, education, external market data, and internal equity considerations.

Benefits & Additional Information

Successful candidates will enjoy an exceptional career opportunity within a welcoming environment. Eligible employees can also take advantage of Honigman’s comprehensive benefits program, highlights of which are below:

• Healthcare, life and disability insurance
• 401K and profit sharing
• Generous All Purpose Leave (APL) program that increases with tenure
• Well‑being programs (e.g., mental health services, medical resources, and more)
• Learning and development programs

For more information, click on “Our Benefits” when you visit: https://www.honigman.com/careers-business-professionals

Honigman is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or any other category prohibited by applicable local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, and termination.

Seniority level

Not Applicable

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Legal and Administrative

Industries

Law Practice