Intellectual Property Paralegal

Great opportunity for an Intellectual Property Paralegal to join a leading regional law firm in their Charlotte, NC office on a direct hire basis.  Duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Working with attorneys to prepare and file patent applications with the USPTO with regard to formality requirements, including electronic filing of all documents with the USPTO.  Patent applications will generally include U.S. provisional patent application, U.S. regular utility patent applications, continuation and divisional patent applications, and PCT applications filed with the USPTO as the international receiving office.
• Working with internal or external service providers to monitor and pay annuities and maintenance fees for U.S. and non-U.S. patent applications; assist with correspondence to clients regarding the same.
• Assisting with preparing correspondence to foreign associates, ensuring transmission of all required documents, and work with foreign associates through compliance with local required filing formalities, including legalization of documents, if necessary.
• Reviewing granted patent documents to determine maintenance requirements and calculate term.
• Working with attorneys and clients regarding validation procedure after grant of European patents.
• Working with attorneys upon receipt of Office Actions issued by various patent offices to ensure proper instructions and timely responses.
• Preparing and filing Information Disclosure Statements.
• Monitoring status and working with attorneys/clients re possible priority-based PCT and/or other foreign applications.
• Working with attorneys to ensure timely responses to Office Actions, payment of issue fees, and submission of formal drawings.
• Working with attorneys to manage dockets; familiarity with various docketing software preferred.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of five (5) years’ work experience in a law firm environment, or related professional experience.
• Prior experience supporting attorneys with an international intellectual property practice preferred.
• Must have knowledge of USPTO rules and procedures, including related to PCT patent filings.
• Extensive knowledge and skills in utilizing the Internet, Adobe Acrobat, U.S. Patent Office Electronic Filing System; experience with legal research tools preferred.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including MSWord, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals.
• Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints.
• Ability to proofread materials for contextual, grammatical, typographical or spelling errors.
• Must have strong organizational, decision-making skills and problem-solving skills.
• Must be reliable and a self-starter.

If you would like to learn more about the Intellectual Property Paralegal position available in Charlotte, NC, then please submit your resume, in Word format, by clicking the Apply Now button.