Legal Staff Legal Secretary in San Francisco, CA

Law Firm

San Francisco, CA

Legal Staff Legal Secretary in San Francisco, CA

Legal Staff

Min 2 yrs required

No

Job Title: Patent Specialist

Job Responsibilities:
The Patent Specialist at the law firm will be a crucial member of the Intellectual Property Department, collaborating with attorneys, paralegals, and support staff to provide exceptional service to both internal and external clients. The primary focus is on US patent prosecution and patent matters, emphasizing US and PCT filings, deadline management, and special projects. The responsibilities include:

- Providing support in all phases of US patent prosecution, working closely with attorneys, patent specialists, paralegals, and clients.
- Preparing, coordinating the review, and filing US and PCT patent applications, responses, and issue fees, both electronically and on paper as necessary.
- Drafting correspondence to clients regarding the status of patent applications and patent matters.
- Reporting USPTO and PCT correspondence and notifications, such as publications, recordation of assignments, office actions, IDS, Missing Parts, Petitions, and Notices of Allowances.
- Managing client portfolios, including preparing and maintaining client status reports, charts, and various client projects and tasks. Acting as a single point of contact for the client and providing assistance.
- Drafting, filing, and reporting to clients on IDS and IDS reference management, utilizing contracted resources as appropriate.
- Managing dockets, monitoring deadlines, and communicating with appropriate parties to ensure timely completion of deadlines and related activities.
- Reviewing, organizing, and filing documents and emails in the firm’s document management system iManage according to firm protocols.
- Completing special projects as assigned and performing various patent-related administrative support tasks.
- Supporting client services by preparing and processing client reports, coordinating client meetings, and meeting with client patent paralegals.
- Reporting filings and notifications to clients through the client portal.
- Reviewing client proformas, making edits, and finalizing them for attorneys. Handling patent prosecution administrative tasks or routing them to others as appropriate.
- Maintaining accurate daily time records for client billing and statistical purposes.

Education and Experience Information:
- A minimum of two years’ experience as a patent prosecution paralegal, legal secretary, or comparable position with experience in a law firm or in-house legal environment is required.
- Experience with Electronic Filing USPTO procedures.
- Excellent knowledge of USPTO and PCT rules and procedures.
- Foreign filing experience is preferred.

Knowledge/Skills Required:
- High proficiency with technology, including Microsoft Office Suite applications, Adobe Acrobat, . Patent Office Electronic Filing System, Dialog, and other internet research tools.
- Good working knowledge of timekeeping software (InTapp), iManage, FoundationIP, and Claim Master.
- Excellent client service skills and a willingness to collaborate and take on assignments.
- Ability to compose routine correspondence.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to work independently, prioritize assignments, and handle multiple projects simultaneously.
- Maintaining confidentiality of client information.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and perform well under pressure.
- Must be respectful, reliable, and a dependable team player.
- A good planner who is detail-oriented and able to organize and prioritize effectively.
- Action and results-oriented with effective written and oral communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and take initiative to move projects to conclusion.
- Must have a sense of urgency relating to client requests and be able to meet deadlines.
- Strong work ethic, flexibility, dependability, and a positive can-do attitude.
- Willingness to adapt to change.

Salary Information:
This is a full-time, regular position with a multi-faceted health benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision. The law firm also offers life insurance, short-term disability plans, and retirement plans, in addition to holidays and paid time off. The firm provides hybrid work schedules, combining in-office workdays with remote workdays. The pay range for this position in Seattle and California only is to per hour.

The law firm is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex or gender, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. The contractor will not discriminate against employees or applicants based on inquiries or discussions about pay. However, employees with access to compensation information as part of their job functions cannot disclose it to those without access, except in specific legal circumstances.