Patent Practice Assistant

Fenwick & West LLP; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 108,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Life Insurance

Health Savings Accounts

Flexible Spending Accounts

Wellbeing

Job summary

Fenwick & West LLP seeks a Patent Practice Assistant to provide essential administrative support to the Client Services Administrative team. The role, hybrid with home/office work, involves conflict checks, docketing, client correspondence, and document management to ensure efficient workflows and on-time delivery.

Expect 37.5 hours/week, Monday–Friday, with overtime as needed. Requirements include strong multitasking, attention to detail, and 2+ years of administrative experience (law firm

Qualifications

• Must multitask in a deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrate high attention to detail in work products.
• Take initiative and work independently or in a team.
• Proofread documents for grammar and accuracy.
• Type standard correspondence from draft or dictation.
• Provide exemplary client service and communicate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Prepare conflict checks for new matters and process engagement letters.
• Obtain docket numbers for U.S. and Non-U.S. matters and create inventor records.
• Create initial client procedures for new clients.
• Review and edit prebills; upload documents to client databases.
• Review U.S. publications and draft client correspondence.
• Manage room creation and maintenance for clients; coordinate calendars.
• Handle travel arrangements and travel logistics; time-entry corrections.
• Edit Fenwick CRM; assist with MCLE tracking; download USPTO filings.
• Perform status checks on Office actions; serve as back-up to team members.

Skills

Multitasking

Attention to detail

Initiative

Proofreading

Typing

Client service

Organizational skills

MS Office

Two years admin experience

Law firm experience preferred

Tools

Patent docketing system

MS Office

USPTO Patent Center

Job description

Job Description Summary

Fenwick is seeking a Patent Practice Assistant who will be responsible for providing administrative support to the Client Services Administrative team. The assistant will ensure quality service and a harmonious working relationship with lawyers, management, supervisors, co-workers, and clients by maintaining effective and efficient workflows, and working ahead of deadlines. This role can be based in any of our U.S. offices and offers a hybrid work arrangement, allowing you to work both from home and in the office. The frequency of in-office work will be determined by business needs and guided by your department's directives. The work schedule for this position (non-exempt) will be 37.5 hours per week, Monday - Friday, from 9:00 am - 5:30 pm, with flexibility and ability to work overtime, as needed.

Job Description

• Prepare conflict checks for new matters, prepares and process engagement letters for new clients.
• Obtain docket numbers for all U.S. and Non-U.S. matters including creating inventor records in the Fenwick patent docketing system, as needed, including entry of client contact details.
• Create initial client procedures for new clients assigned by the team.
• Review and edit prebills.
• Upload all documents (both U.S. and Non-U.S.) to client databases, as needed.
• Review and process U.S. Publications.
• Prepare draft client correspondence.
• Manage propel room creation and maintenance for specific clients.
• Manage group expenses, vendor expenses, and bar dues, upon request.
• Coordinate attorney calendars, upon request.
• Handle conference room and visiting office requests.
• Handle travel arrangements, itineraries, and travel logistics.
• Handle time entry corrections as needed.
• Handle Fenwick CRM database edits.
• Assist with MCLE requirements tracking.
• Download USPTO filings from Patent Center.
• Perform status checks on Office actions.
• Serve as a back-up to team members, as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• Multitask in a highly demanding, deadline-driven environment.
• Possess a high level of attention to detail.
• Take initiative and work both independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to proofread typed material for grammatical, typographical and spelling errors.
• Ability to type standard correspondence, memoranda and similar material in draft or final form from written material or dictation.
• Exemplary client service skills, with the ability to interact with various departments, all levels of firm executive personnel, vendors and contractors.
• Excellent written, verbal and organizational skills.
• Maintain and handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Promote effective work practices, work as a team member, and show respect for all firm personnel.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications.
• The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant administrative work experience.
• Experience in a law firm setting is preferred.

Benefits and Compensation Details

• Healthcare
• Life Insurance
• Health Savings Accounts
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Wellbeing
• Except as otherwise required by law, temporary employees are generally not entitled to these benefits.
• The anticipated range for this position is: $76,000 - $107,500
• 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 Employment Opportunity Statement

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].