Trademark Paralegal - Cairo

The Role

Provide administrative support to the trade marks professional team, particularly to allocated lawyers and to ensure they are fully supported in trade marks and administrative functions.

Key Responsibilities

Trademarks

• Client-facing role: taking instructions, acknowledging receipt and arranging for the opening of matters and onboarding new clients.
• Advising client on standard costs and document requirements; reporting filing, acceptance, publication and registration of trade marks to client.
• Preparing and assisting clients with Powers of Attorney, translations and other supporting documents.
• Instructing and liaising with local agents in multiple jurisdictions.
• Sending reminders and follow-up letters to agents and clients.
• Reviewing agent invoices against cost estimates received from the local agents.
• Assisting attorneys with first review of draft client invoices.
• Assisting attorneys by drafting filing strategies, specifications, considering adverse examination reports from various trade mark offices or foreign agents, preparing draft advice to clients.
• Assisting attorneys by drafting submissions in Arabic to the trade mark offices or to agents.
• Assisting attorneys with drafting search reports.
• Assisting attorneys with the preparation and drafting of notices of opposition and counter statements.
• Preparing draft Deeds of Assignment and dealing with recording assignments, licenses and changes of name and address with the trade mark offices.
• Updating records; managing deadlines and reminders; prioritising work according to timelines, suggesting solutions, managing communication with clients, agents and trade mark offices.
• Compiling documents and evidence to attach to declarations or affidavits ensuring that exhibits accurately reflect the corresponding statements in the affidavit or declaration and that the documents are finalised ready for execution.
• Working with the IP Administrator team to ensure that instructions from attorneys to file, renew or otherwise deal with trade marks are carried out accurately and within the required timeframe.
• Managing conflict checks and the file opening process for new matters to ensure that our procedures are followed.
• Support the attorneys in general matter administration including file organisation, saving correspondence to the matter, management of trademark portfolios, dealing with invoicing queries, monitoring of deadlines, drafting of letters, assistance with client administration and liaison with other teams such as finance, translation or corporate services.

Essential Skills & Experience

The ideal applicant will:

• Be educated to at least diploma level; a trade mark paralegal qualification desirable;
• Have at least two years’ experience working in trade marks;
• Be fluent in written and spoken English and Arabic;
• Be team oriented and able to work autonomously;
• Have strong attention to detail and good organisation skills; and
• Be commercially aware and able to take a practical approach to matters.

The Firm

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Our Commitment

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity. Learn more about our interview process.

A Note on Privacy

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice. This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it’s used for, how it’s obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject.

If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.

This is the job description as constituted at present; however, Clyde & Co reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the business.