Patent Prosecution Attorney — Life Sciences

Watts & Associates Recruitment; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 310,000 - 435,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

Professional development

Wellbeing programmes

Job summary

Watts & Associates, a discreetly partnering Am Law 100 global law firm, seeks a Patent Associate in Chicago with 3+ years of prosecution experience. You will handle US and cross-border filings, work closely with partners, inventors, and in-house teams, and own significant matters in a sophisticated IP portfolio.

You will engage in drafting, office actions, and strategic portfolio planning within a leading international platform. Chicago-based role with strong career progression.

Qualifications

• At least three years of patent preparation and prosecution experience.
• Experience drafting applications and responding to USPTO office actions.
• Strong technical analysis and legal writing abilities.

Responsibilities

• Draft and prosecute US and international patent applications.
• Prepare office-action responses and manage USPTO deadlines.
• Conduct prior-art, patentability and freedom-to-operate analyses.
• Develop filing and portfolio strategies with inventors and clients.
• Advise on patent protection, portfolio growth and commercialization.
• Coordinate foreign counsel and cross-border prosecution matters.
• Support licensing, due diligence and research collaborations.
• Advising on portfolio optimisation and competitive risk.
• Collaborate with disputes and transactional IP teams.

Skills

Patent prosecution

Legal writing

Client management

Technical analysis

Education

J.D. from a top law school

Tools

USPTO

Job description

Watts & Associates, a discreetly partnering Am Law 100 global law firm, seeks a Patent Associate in Chicago with 3+ years of prosecution experience. You will handle US and cross-border filings, work closely with partners, inventors, and in-house teams, and own significant matters in a sophisticated IP portfolio.

You will engage in drafting, office actions, and strategic portfolio planning within a leading international platform. Chicago-based role with strong career progression.