Legal Assistant - Intellectual Property (Indianapolis)

About the role

Taft is seeking a legal assistant to support our Intellectual Property practice group in Taft’s Indianapolis office. We are seeking a legal assistant with 3+ years’ experience to support our Intellectual Property team in our Indianapolis office. All Taft employees operate under a “Client First” philosophy—in all things, we seek to provide exceptional services to our clients.

Responsibilities

• Prepares, reviews and processes patent and trademark registration applications, filings and renewals.
• Prepares, reviews, proofreads, and processes patent and trademark prosecution documents.
• Works closely with attorney/paralegal team to develop, implement and maintain processes, procedures and policies for patent and trademark workflow.
• Processes daily incoming and outgoing correspondence, including with clients, outside counsel, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and foreign patent offices.
• Drafts and proofreads correspondence, transmittal documents, and other documents necessary to the practice to ensure accuracy; tracks and obtains signatures when required.
• Carefully monitors docketing dates and deadlines, being proactive in ensuring that deadlines are met or brought to the attention of attorney/paralegal team; carefully monitors workflow of matters to ensure timely handling.
• May provide administrative support in opposition, interference, infringement, and related proceedings as needed.
• Exhibits outstanding client service in greeting guests, talking with clients, preparing correspondence, answering questions, and ensuring that matters proceed through the pre-defined administrative process.
• Manages client contacts, electronic mail, and print and electronic documents.
• May prepare exhibits and other materials for intellectual property litigation.
• May conduct factual research for patent and trademark matters.
• Enters and reviews time charges; may review and edit final client invoices for accuracy.
• Creates, organizes, maintains, and closes files in accordance with prescribed internal policies.
• Works collaboratively with other IP team members to ensure that work is completed, deadlines met and department needs are met.
• Processes and tracks requests for payments and reimbursements.
• May occasionally perform paralegal (IP Specialist) duties; however, primary role is providing clerical and administrative support for attorney/paralegal team.

Requirements

• 3+ years related experience.
• Knowledge of patent and trademark terminology, prosecution procedures, and deadlines for both U.S. and foreign intellectual property matters; knowledge of current USPTO rules and procedures; experience with intellectual property software systems.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills, sufficient to set and manage priorities; to manage and meet deadlines; and to self-start and ensure that work is timely completed.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy; good judgment and analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communications and writing skills.
• Ability and willingness to demonstrate collaborative work habits and an ‘ownership mentality’ in understanding the work to be done and assuring that it is timely and accurately completed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office 2016 suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook).