Patent Agent or Technical Specialist

Job Description At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us. Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.We are seeking to hire a Patent Agent or Technical Specialist to join our Charlotte office's Intellectual Property practice. We are seeking a candidate with a degree in engineering or physics, and 3 years of work experience, preferably doing patent prosecution at a law firm.Patent Agents and Technical Specialists support lawyers on patent prosecution matters and specifically perform tasks including, but not limited to, analyzing invention disclosures, performing patent searches, drafting patent applications, preparing office action responses, and generating other documents in support of patent prosecution matters. Specific duties include, but are not limited to: • Drafting patent applications and prosecuting patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).• Analyzing scientific or technical documents, including previously published patent documents, to assess an invention or issued patent.• Drafting detailed descriptions of inventions in precise legal terms (patent drafts), which form the basis for patents to be granted by patent offices in various parts of the world.• Preparing information disclosure statements, declarations, and other patent prosecution related materials.• Managing a U.S. and foreign patent prosecution docket such that deadlines are met.• Conducting interviews with examiners at the USPTO.• Keeping up to date with legal developments in the intellectual property field. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:  • Must possess a Bachelor’s degree and/or advanced degree (M.S, Ph. D) in engineering/physics• Patent Agent candidates must be admitted to practice before the USPTO.• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all contacts.• Highly organized and responsive, with demonstrated experience managing multiple priorities and deadlines in a changing and demanding environment.  Candidates must be self-starters who possess the ability to work independently and as part of a team. We require strong academic credentials, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to providing the most responsive and highest quality client service. Candidates will work closely with experienced lawyers across the Intellectual Property platform who will provide active mentoring and opportunities to assume increasing levels of responsibility, including direct client contact, and to also participate in matters generated by global platform.Compensation Salary $69,991.00 - $125000.00 / yearThe compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, market factors and candidate’s geographic location.In accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants for our Los Angeles and San Francisco offices with arrest and conviction records will be considered.ABOUT THE FIRMK&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world. We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world. The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.