Legal Support Analyst

Fenwick & West LLP; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 96,000; Full time

Job summary

Fenwick & West LLP is seeking a Legal Support Analyst to support attorneys and clients, ensuring compliance with firm policies. The role is hybrid with a 40-hour week, typically 8am–5pm or 9am–6pm, and may include some travel as needed.

You will generate patent reports, prepare documents for USPTO filings, and manage docket deadlines using firm databases and Microsoft Office tools. A bachelor’s degree is preferred, or equivalent experience.

Qualifications

• Ability to read and write routine office correspondence and forms.
• Basic arithmetic for verifying calculations on forms and files.
• Solid understanding of legal transactions, procedures and calendaring requirements.
• Ability to organize and prioritize many tasks under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate with diverse clients, attorneys, staff and vendors.
• Ability to communicate effectively by phone and in writing.

Responsibilities

• Generate reports from firm databases and external patent databases as requested by clients and attorneys.
• Prepare materials for Information Disclosure Statements for filing with the USPTO.
• Prepare and send formal documents including assignments and declarations for inventors.
• Record and file documents with the USPTO.
• Prepare and file US National Stage (371) applications with the USPTO.
• Monitor upcoming patent deadlines and generate related reports.

Skills

Reading & writing

Basic arithmetic

Legal transactions

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Phone communication

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Patricia

Elite

iManage

PatSnap

Thompson IP

Orbit

USPTO Patent Center

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Excel

Job description

Job Description Summary:

Fenwick is seeking a Legal Support Analyst who will provide support to the Firm’s attorneys and their clients and ensure compliance with the Firm’s established policies and guidelines. This position can be based in any of our U.S. offices. The work schedule for this position (non-exempt) will be 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, from 8am - 5pm or 9am - 6pm. This role offers a hybrid work arrangement, allowing you to work both from home and at your designated Fenwick office. The frequency of in‑office work will be determined by business needs and guided by your department’s directives.

Responsibilities

• Generate reports from firm databases and outside databases of client patent applications and patent portfolios as requested by firm clients and attorneys.
• Prepare and organize materials for Information Disclosure Statements for filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Prepare and send formal documents including assignments and declarations to inventors for execution.
• Record and file documents with the USPTO.
• Prepare and file US National Stage (371) applications with the USPTO.
• Monitor certain upcoming patent‑related deadlines and generate reports/materials relating to same.
• Prepare documents for filing by the firm’s attorneys, patent agents and paralegals.
• Order, organize and prepare file histories and other related documents from USPTO, co‑counsel in other jurisdictions and other sources.
• Utilize firm databases (e.g., Patricia, Elite, ShareRooms and document management systems (e.g., iManage)), third‑party tools and databases (e.g., PatSnap, Thompson IP, Orbit, USPTO Patent Center), Intranet IP related websites, tools and databases (e.g., the USPTO website) and Microsoft Office and related desktop tools and applications (e.g., Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Visio, PowerPoint and Excel).
• Pay attention to upcoming due dates/deadlines by reviewing docket daily, bringing urgent deadlines to attention of attorney/agent/paralegal.
• Draft, revise and finalize various patent documents, including, but not limited to, correspondence, memoranda, patent forms, filings, electronic filings, applications, amendments, assignment recordations, agreements, etc.
• Proofread and suggest edits on patent and related documents.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Ability to read and write to perform routine office correspondence and forms.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic calculations (at a level normally acquired through high school or the equivalent) when verifying calculations on forms and documents and when maintaining records and files.
• Solid understanding of legal transactions, procedures and calendaring requirements and the ability to perform clerical, organizational and administrative duties in a professional services environment.
• Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under pressure and time constraints.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to communicate and follow instructions effectively from a diverse group of clients, attorneys, staff and vendors; ability and desire to provide information with courtesy and tact.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to communicate effectively by phone and provide information with courtesy and tact.
• Work occasionally requires high concentration when performing a high volume of administrative and clerical tasks and other essential duties.
• If necessary, willingness and capacity to travel to other off‑site locations.

The position is non‑exempt. The Support Analyst reports directly to the Legal Support Analyst Supervisor. Ability to access, input and retrieve information from a PC to produce error‑free typed copy. Ability to work well with other staff members and attorneys in a demanding environment. Reporting to the Associate Director, Patent Operations, the ideal candidate will have 2–3 years of patent prosecution experience in a law firm environment. A bachelor’s degree is preferred, or equivalent experience or relevant certifications.

Benefits and Compensation Details

• At Fenwick, we believe that our partners and employees are our most important asset. Helping you and your families achieve and maintain good health - physical, emotional, and financial - is the reason we offer a comprehensive benefit program.
• We provide benefits to eligible employees under plans such as Healthcare, Life Insurance, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Wellbeing.
• Except as otherwise required by law, temporary employees are generally not entitled to these benefits.
• The anticipated range for this position is: $68,000 - $95,750.
• Depending on the role, the actual base salary offered may depend upon a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.
• A discretionary bonus for eligible employees may also be available based on performance. Additional information about employee eligibility for benefits and discretionary bonus will be made available upon request.

Our Story

For more than five decades, Fenwick & West has helped some of the world’s most recognized companies become, and remain, market leaders. From emerging enterprises to large public corporations, our clients are leaders in the technology, life sciences and cleantech sectors and are fundamentally changing the world through rapid innovation. Having worked alongside such progressive and cutting edge companies for so long, our culture has come to reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of our client base. Unlike traditional law firms, we move at our clients’ speed and have earned the reputation as a go‑to law firm for growing companies that need insightful, strategic counsel to help tackle the challenging issues that arise when the law cannot keep up with their pace of innovation. With the same passion for excellence and innovation reflected in our client base, our firm is making revolutionary changes to the practice of law through substantial investments in proprietary technology tools and processes. Our clients demand—and deserve—new ways to receive best‑in‑class legal services more effectively. At Fenwick, we are proud to be shaping our legal services to do just that. We are proud to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area for the twelfth year.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Fenwick & West LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and, as such, conducts all employment‑related activities without regard to unlawful consideration of race, religion, color, marital status, national origin, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, gender, genetic characteristics or any other classification protected by applicable local, state or federal employment discrimination laws. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all. If you require reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre‑employment testing, or a job interview, please contact [e-mail] or [e-mail]. At the discretion of the recruiting department, we accept submissions by agency recruiters when a fee agreement has been established between the firm and the agency. Pursuant to the SanFrancisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. To view our privacy policy click here.