Technical Specialist

Job Overview: A law firm in Philadelphia, PA, is seeking a Technical Specialist to support patent prosecution and related activities in life sciences. The successful candidate will conduct research, manage sequences, draft patent applications, and assist with various legal processes.

Duties:

• Perform research, sequence management, and searching.
• Investigate inventorship issues
• Manage the intake of invention disclosures and review disclosures for patentability, novelty, and non-obviousness
• Evaluate qualification and applicability of prior art
• Study and analyze scientific or technical documents, including previously published patent documents, to assess patentability, novelty, and inventiveness
• Draft new patent applications
• Convert prior provisional applications into utility applications
• Convert foreign filed applications into U.S. applications and vice versa
• Prepare replies to U.S. and foreign office actions
• Assist attorneys with prosecution and manage the processing of e-file filings
• Assist with interviews of USPTO examiners
• Assist with appeals to PTAB
• Assist in meetings with clients to discuss inventions and ascertain whether the inventions are likely to lead to commercially meaningful patent claims
• Prepare clearance analyses

Requirements:

• An advanced degree (Master or PhD) in a biological field, including Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, or similar biological science, with excellent academic credentials
• 2 years of related experience in the field of life sciences
• Excellent writing and research abilities
• Proficiency in written and verbal communication
• Strong organizational skills

Education and Certifications:

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in a biological field

Skills:

• Research skills
• Writing skills
• Communication skills (written and verbal)
• Organizational skills

Benefits:

• 401(k) plan
• Medical, dental, vision, life, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, business travel accident insurance plans
• Health savings and flexible spending accounts for the employee and eligible dependents
• Employee Assistance Program, Work/Life Services, HealthAdvocate, Bright Horizons Back-Up Child Care, WageWorks Commuter Benefits
• 9 paid holidays per calendar year
• 2 personal days per year
• Up to 20 days of vacation per year
• 1 paid sick leave hour for 30 hours worked (following state applicable law)
• Up to five days off for bereavement leave
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave per year
• Up to 10 weeks of paid pregnancy disability leave per pregnancy

This is one of the top law firms in the country to work forin its huge Philadelphia office, this firm draws rave reviews. Although much more a large firm atmosphere than most of the East Coast (non-New York) based firms, this firm has one of the most exciting full service practices around. However, it is not easy to get in with this fairly elite group of attorneys--they are very picky about their candidates. The culture here is fairly competitive--although the partners take care of their own, this is a group of high powered professionals who are used to acheiving at very high levels--and used to beating out the guy next door. This internal drive will keep associates staying later and later to earn bragging rights on occasion--but it's not as if the work isn't abundant enough to keep you there.