Patents Intellectual Property Secretary - Cape Town

Legal Careers Ltd; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in Cape Town is seeking a Senior Patents Secretary to provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative services within their Intellectual Property team. The role involves managing legal documentation, invoicing, and liaising with clients. Ideal candidates should possess extensive experience in legal practices and advanced computer skills. Opportunities for collaboration with legal professionals and adherence to confidentiality standards are essential in this dynamic role.

Benefits

Collaborative work environment

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of experience in a legal practice, or 5-7 years in legal secretary role.
• Ability to read and write effectively in English.
• Shorthand skills an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Provide secretarial and administrative support for legal professionals.
• Prepare and file patent and trademark applications.
• Manage invoicing, including capturing and collating time units.

Skills

Advanced computer literacy

Minute taking

Good working knowledge of MS Office suite

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

Matriculation certificate or equivalent

B degree / diploma in legal studies or office administration

Tools

Patricia

File Site

Job description

A top tier law firm based in the Cape Town CBD is seeking a Senior Patents Secretary to join their Intellectual Property team.

Main purpose of the job

• To provide a range of secretarial and routine administration support services to a team of legal professionals ensuring that all legal work generated by the team is processed, administered and filed in an efficient and orderly manner. Operates on a dedicated full-time basis as a support member of the fee earning team.

Key responsibilities (include but are not limited to):

Legal Administration:

• Open matters for new clients and collect all the requisite client details and documentation.
• Opening of patents and trademarks matters on Patricia and ensure regular updating of client matter information.
• Prepare quotations for local and foreign clients.
• Prepare and file local and international patent, design and trademark registration applications.
• Prepare relevant documentation for correspondents in relation to foreign applications.
• Diarise matters/files.
• Draft routine correspondence in line with established precedents and practices.
• Prepare letters of demand and undertakings.
• Draft affidavits and domain name objections on behalf of partners.
• Liaise with local sheriffs, patent and trademark offices.
• Perform patent and trademark formalities searches.
• Assist with the collation, preparation and filing of court documents.
• Check to ensure that all requisite documentation requirements are in order.
• Follow up with clients and other parties to ensure that outstanding documentation is received.

Invoicing and Collections:

• Capture and collate time units and narratives onto billing system. This includes preparing invoices for split bills and capturing narratives onto Excel for overseas clients.
• Calculate billing and conversion rates for foreign currencies where relevant.
• Gather requisite FICA information from clients and/or parties responsible for invoice payments.
• .Print out pro forma invoices for verification and checking by fee earners.
• Make amendments to time and narratives as requested.
• Submit invoices for final sign off and distribution.
• Follow up with clients after 30 days to collect invoice payments and keep a log of all client contact.
• Escalate problematic invoice payment problems to fee earners in need and monitor and record payment status.
• Escalate outstanding invoice payments to Finance Credit Control after 90 days.
• Check and assist Finance with account allocations.
• Process expenses as authorised.

General Support:

• Answer and screen telephone calls, take messages and greet clients.
• Schedule and confirm diary appointments as requested.
• Take minutes.
• Arrange conference call facilities and catering requirements for in-person meetings.
• Arrange logistics for conferences i.e. venue, travel, catering, accommodation, presentation and documentation requirements.
• Order and distribute stationery for the team.

Private Administration:

• Assist fee earners by attending to private matters on their behalf as and when there is capacity to do so.

Teamwork:

• Support others in the team when own work is complete.
• Maintain a collaborative working relationship with other non legal support areas in the firm e.g. IT, Finance, HR, and Marketing.

Key performance measures:

Financial Measures:

• Collection of outstanding invoice payments measured by number of invoices issued and number of payments received within 30, 60 and 90 days.
• Number of invoice payments exceeding 90 days.

Customer Service Measures:

• Internal Client Satisfaction rating i.e. compliments and complaints (measured through 360 feedback from practice groups serviced).

Internal Process Measures:

• Quality of drafted correspondence.
• Deadlines met.
• Accuracy of typing/ minute taking – error and return rates.
• Speed of typing – words per minute.
• Accuracy/ integrity of filing systems.
• Accuracy of invoices prepared.
• Time management - reduced overtime hours
• Compliance with house templates and practice group requirements.

Learning & Growth:

• Competence rating (measured through 360 feedback i.e. knowledge of house templates, billing procedures and protocols, typing skills etc.).
• Team rating re: cooperation, sharing information, helpfulness, politeness etc.

Number of subordinates:

No subordinates but the role requires significant interaction with fee earners and external parties:

• The incumbent is required to be polite and courteous with both internal employees and with external clients in the course of providing a day to day secretarial service.
• Contact with external parties is a feature of this role as the incumbent is required to handle routine queries/complaints, as well as to follow up on, check or verify information provided by various parties where necessary. This requires the incumbent to be effective in providing information in a clear and articulate manner.

Knowledge:

Qualifications:

• Matriculation certificate or equivalent.
• A relevant tertiary qualification is preferable i.e. B degree / diploma or equivalent in legal studies or legal secretarial studies, and/ or office administration.

Experience:

• Where no formal qualification exists the build up of relevant work experience should be at least between 5 -10 years within a legal practice.
• Where a tertiary qualification has been obtained, this qualification needs to be supported by a minimum of 5 - 7 years previous working experience in a legal secretary role within a law practice.

Competencies:

• Ability to read, write and spell effectively in English.
• Shorthand an advantage.
• Ability to work in a challenging environment with a wide and varied caseload.
• Sound knowledge of legal terminology (including Latin phrases), acts and rules relevant to area of practice.
• Up to date knowledge of the firm’s policies and practices.
• Requires advanced computer literacy skills to capture, save, retrieve, organise, scan and index documents and e-mail correspondence.
• Minute taking skills
• Dictaphone typing skills.
• A good working knowledge of the firms document management and accounting systems e.g. Patricia, File Site etc.
• Good working knowledge of MS Office suite.
• A good working knowledge of how to open matters.
• A good working knowledge of billing procedures including how to process split bills and credit notes.
• A good working knowledge of where and how to file court documents.
• A good working knowledge of how to submit trademark registration, patent and design applications.
• A good knowledge of standard document templates i.e. how to access and complete these templates in line with house rules.
• Ability to prioritise and work well under pressure.
• Attentive to detail - methodical,organised, precise, accurate, neat and tidy with paperwork.
• Conscientious approach to work - able to follow a defined process, completes jobs, plans, sticks to deadlines and perseveres with routine.
• Resilient - not affected by criticism and able to recover quickly from setbacks.
• Relaxed - calm under pressure, free from anxiety, emotionally dependable.
• Time management skills – ability to schedule own day.
• Administration skills.
• Well developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Basic working knowledge of FICA requirements.
• Must demonstrate a knowledge and respect for confidentiality and the ethical standards of the legal profession.
• Service orientation.
• Must demonstrate respect for diversity i.e. tactful and diplomatic when dealing with people, treating them with dignity and respect at all times.