About Patent Attorneys
Patent Attorneys protect our 'intellectual property' e.g. inventions such as new medicines, by applying for patents and registered designs.
"What I love about being a Patent Attorney is that you're always involved in something new - a fresh discovery. It's an exciting interface between law and science."
What does the job involve?
Guarding 'intellectual property' is just as important as protecting physical property like buildings and computers. In fact, for a company like AstraZeneca that makes its money from discovering new things, it's far more important. Patent Attorneys are the people who help prevent others from stealing our good ideas. They do so by securing and enforcing intellectual property rights such as patents and trademarks. The job involves working with people in all sorts of different departments from inventors in research to marketing staff.
What kind of qualifications do I need?
You will need a science degree (usually chemistry or biotechnology) and some have a PhD too. You'll also need the ability to use language very precisely in written work and legal skills - usually acquired in-house in our Global Intellectual Property department. It normally takes four or five years to qualify as a Patent Attorney and pass all the relevant exams.
What kind of career opportunities will I enjoy?
There's currently a shortage of qualified Patent Attorneys so salaries are pretty competitive. In terms of job satisfaction, you're always dealing with something new and interesting, for example, a new invention or the launching and marketing of a new medicine.
Where can I work
We employ Patent Attorneys at Alderley Park and London in the UK and in Sweden and Wilmington in USA.
Where can I find out more?
Check out our website
www.astrazeneca.co.uk
Other useful sources of information are The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents www.cipa.org.uk and the European Patent Office in Munich www.european-patent-office.org
