IP PARALEGAL

McAfee & Taft; Oklahoma City (OK); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

McAfee & Taft in Oklahoma City seeks an IP Paralegal to support one or more IP attorneys, manage dockets, and coordinate patent, trademark, and copyright filings in the U.S. and abroad.

You will prepare and review a variety of documents, communicate with clients and foreign counsel, and help ensure deadlines are met in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of legal experience required; 5+ years preferred.
• Prior IP paralegal experience preferred but not required.
• Strong written and oral communication skills; confidentiality essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage the dockets of assigned attorneys, including work with an IP docket manager and system to help enter deadlines and related notes into an IP docketing database
• Prepare and file patent, trademark and copyright applications in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Communication and coordinate with foreign counsel to oversee the filing of patent and trademark applications around the world.
• Prepare, review, edit, proofread and file a variety of documents, pleadings and communications.
• Prepare and manage correspondence with clients and associates and take all necessary steps to ensure that the correspondence is accurately entered into the appropriate database and record keeping system.
• Scrupulously review all work product to ensure highest accuracy; routinely apply techniques and procedures to manage details, often working under critical deadlines.
• Actively prioritize work responding to deadlines and changing critical needs.
• Take steps to communicate with assigned attorneys daily to prioritize projects, manage dockets and help ensure that are deadlines and client responsibilities are met.

Skills

Integrity/Ethics

Organization

Communication

Interpersonal Skills

Quality

Sense of Urgency

Education

Associate’s degree in paralegal or legal studies

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Position Summary

The IP Paralegal will be responsible for supporting one or more IP attorneys in the Firm and be responsible for project and attorney docket management to help deliver efficient, responsive and creative results for our clients.

Position Summary

The IP Paralegal will be responsible for supporting one or more IP attorneys in the Firm and be responsible for project and attorney docket management to help deliver efficient, responsive and creative results for our clients.

Essential Functions

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• Manage the dockets of assigned attorneys, including work with an IP docket manager and system to help enter deadlines and related notes into an IP docketing database
• Prepare and file patent, trademark and copyright applications in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Communication and coordinate with foreign counsel to oversee the filing of patent and trademark applications around the world.
• Prepare, review, edit, proofread and file a variety of documents, pleadings and communications.
• Prepare and manage correspondence with clients and associates and take all necessary steps to ensure that the correspondence is accurately entered into the appropriate database and record keeping system.
• Scrupulously review all work product to ensure highest accuracy; routinely apply techniques and procedures to manage details, often working under critical deadlines.
• Actively prioritize work responding to deadlines and changing critical needs.
• Take steps to communicate with assigned attorneys daily to prioritize projects, manage dockets and help ensure that are deadlines and client responsibilities are met.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Integrity/Ethics - Deals with others in a straightforward and honest manner, is accountable for actions, maintains confidentiality, supports company values, conveys good news and bad.
• Organization – actively manages attorney dockets, works with attorneys to maintain detailed TO DO lists and take all steps necessary to effectively manage and complete assigned projects on a timely basis.
• Communication - Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, and has good listening skills.
• Interpersonal Skills - Has good listening skills, builds strong relationships, is flexible/open-minded, negotiates effectively, solicits performance feedback, and handles constructive criticism.
• Quality - Is attentive to detail and accuracy, is committed to excellence, looks for improvements continuously, monitors quality levels, finds root cause of quality problems, owns/acts on quality problems.
• Sense of Urgency - Prioritizes well, shows energy, reacts to opportunities, instills urgency in others, meets deadlines.

Education:

Associate’s degree in paralegal or legal studies or other related discipline is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Experience:

Minimum of 3 years of legal experience required, and 5+ years of legal experience preferred. Prior IP paralegal experience preferred but not required.

Computer Skills:

Skilled with MS Office Suite and other office products.

Certificates & Licenses:

Paralegal certification from ABA-approves program preferred but not required.

Other Requirements:

Excellent written and oral communication skills (comprehension & expression). Strong command of the English language, including excellent spelling, grammar, punctuation, form and style. Detail-oriented and ability to create, compose, proof and edit correspondence. Possess sense of initiative and responsibility to manage case load and maintain confidentiality of records and information. Ability to work in a fast paced, high-pressured environment. Excellent problem-solving skills and team mindset. Ability to review incoming and outgoing correspondence and input information in a timely and accurate manner. Willing to work overtime to meet deadlines as necessary.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work environment is in a professional office setting. The majority of the activities this role performs will be sedentary work.