Intellectual property (IP) law is a diverse and interesting area of law that is both nationally and internationally important.
There are different forms of intellectual property rights that arise under IP law for the protection of inventions, products, trade marks, creative works and designs. For example, there is the ever-increasing area of law involving the use of trade marks and copyright on the Internet.
Another expanding field is in biotechnology, where a range of legal issues arise, in particular the protection and exploitation of technology.
An intellectual property lawyer has an interesting mix of work. It is usually a popular field and can be quite competitive to get into. As an IP lawyer, you need to be analytical, with technical skills in terms of drafting agreements (although this is not expected immediately), commercial awareness and an up-to-date knowledge of legislation. A scientific background is helpful.
The work/life balance tends to be fairly reasonable. However, expect to put the hours in if you are involved in a corporate transaction with an IP element, or very substantial patent litigation. Since there is also a fair amount of client contact, it is important that you have good communication skills to help establish the aims and objectives of the client regarding their transaction.
You will need:
- commercial awareness
- the ability to think laterally
- organisation skills
- the ability to understand complex information
- analytical skills
- good communication skills
- the ability to pay close attention to detail.
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