Senior Patent Practice Secretary

Who We Are

Lowenstein Sandler is a one of the most sophisticated law firms in the United States, with over 400 lawyers and 300 business services professionals serving clients from offices in New York, Palo Alto, Roseland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington. We recruit candidates who seek a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture that prioritizes our clients, our colleagues, and the communities where we work and live. Committed to career development and to a diverse and inclusive workplace, the firm offers many programs and opportunities for personal and professional growth. We seek professionals for our business services group who share these values.

What You Will Do

The Senior Patent Practice Secretary provides administrative support and performs complex and specialized patent support activities related to the specific work and function of the attorneys/agents in the patent group. This role may also provide some level of client management support to the attorneys and clients. This position relieves the attorneys and other personnel of administrative and clerical work by performing essential duties and responsibilities, which includes the following:

Essential Job Requirements

• General legal secretarial duties, including but not limited to, answering telephones for attorneys as well as others in a professional manner; taking messages and forwarding calls to appropriate parties; processing incoming/outgoing mail; calendaring and scheduling for attorneys as well as on department calendar (if applicable); opening new client matter accounts (conflict checks, intakes, retainer letter and file opening); organizing and maintaining electronic and paper client files and keeping filing up-to-date; retrieving existing files through RIO working with the Records staff to close out and send files to off-site storage; entering attorneys' time; preparing travel arrangements for attorneys and clients.
• Provide high-level assistance to the attorneys, agents and/or law clerks with managing multiple small-medium size clients and/or matters.
• Provide high-level assistance with preparing new patent applications for filing, including provisional, non-provisional, CON, DIV, CIP, §371 Request for Continued Examination (RCE) applications and all related documents.
• Provide high-level assistance to attorneys, agents and/or law clerks in preparing and filing documents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), various international patent agencies (such as the International Bureau) and filing patent applications with the corresponding foreign Patent Office via the foreign agents.
• Provide high-level assistance with preparing and reporting incoming communications to the client in a timely manner.
• Provide high-level assistance with preparing and filing responses and/or amendments to Office Actions.
• Prepare formal documents, obtain appropriate signature and follow-up as needed.
• Upload documents to the client’s database in a timely manner and ensure information and/or documents are uploaded accurately.
• Review issued patents and draft Certificates of Correction, as needed.
• Review Notice of Allowance, prepare checklist and ensure completeness prior to payment of Issue Fee.
• Communicate with the docket staff regarding calendaring and docketing correspondence and action due dates to and from the various Patent Offices and for international and foreign patent applications.
• Review and monitor client’s docket, follow-up as needed, provide updated information to the docket staff and reconcile the docket on a regular basis.
• Review attorney’s docket, provide updated information to the docket staff and reconcile the docket on a regular basis.
• Learn and maintain knowledge of practice and client-matter history.
• Take initiative, with attorneys’ permission, to review emails, delegate to other parties or escalate to attorney for action.
• Demonstrate expertise in department-specific topics, procedures and software.
• Respond to attorney/clients’ needs with a sense of urgency, ensuring resolution with appropriate follow-up.
• Prepare travel arrangements for attorneys and clients, as needed.
• Draft complex correspondence and documents and anticipate attorneys’ need for same.
• Maintain skills necessary to function effectively and meet all expectations of the role, including the basic functions of core technology tools.
• Relieve attorneys of administrative tasks.
• Participate in firm training opportunities; participates in training of other employees and staff members in order to promote cross-training of all employees, assists colleagues in learning new skills/tasks in order to integrate them into the team/firm.
• Maintain confidentiality of all clients and firm information and procedures.
• From handwritten notes, drafts or oral instructions, performs word processing in a variety of correspondence, reports, memoranda and legal documents, as requested.
• Depending upon office location, may contribute to efficient operation of the office by participating in scheduled responsibilities for conference room scheduling/maintenance, ordering of meals/preparation of beverage service for meetings, kitchen maintenance, recycling, etc.
• Ensure client satisfaction is achieved throughout all position responsibilities; regularly review client service procedures and standards related to the position; identify and recommend improvements and enhancements to client service.
• Proactively communicate with co-workers and attorneys to ensure firm needs are met.
• Maintain contact lists for client matters.
• Assist with reviewing and editing pre-bills and distribute pre-bills for review as needed; follow-up to ensure monthly billing is complete in accordance with firm and client’s deadlines.
• Clarify tasks; confirm understanding.
• Share firm and technical knowledge with others.
• Provide back-up support to team members as required.
• Exhibit a desire to team with support staff, attorneys and administrators.
• Accept change and work to incorporate change into daily work environment.
• Ability to work remotely and ensure that tasks are completed timely and efficiently; maintains regular communication with staff, attorneys and supervisor/manager while working remotely.
• Ability to follow policies and procedures while working remotely.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Provide good client service by maintaining a positive and professional attitude, develop and maintain positive and cooperative relationships with legal staff, peers and administrators, whether interacting by phone or in person with the firm’s clients and external clients.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred, 5+ years of experience in patent prosecution.
• Law firm experience preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of CFR, MPEP and other patent-related laws and regulations.
• Working knowledge and experience with reviewing and reconciling a patent docket.
• Working knowledge and experience with the USPTO’s Patent Center and Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS).
• Proficient with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, docket software, database management and contact management.
• Demonstrate skill in reading, analyzing, organizing and interpreting documents, including legal and regulatory documents, patent documents, as well as instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram or schedule format.
• Exhibit effective communication skills by demonstrating tact, diplomacy and discretion when presenting information and responding to questions from clients, attorneys, managers, etc.
• Demonstrate ability to solve problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited information is provided.
• Effectively multi-task and handle competing priorities.
• Efficiently produce work product with a high level of attention to detail; review and proofreads documents for grammar, spelling, readability, etc.
• Keep abreast of practice area processes as appropriate to the position.
• Thorough knowledge of office organization, workflow and procedures.
• Thorough knowledge and use of firm’s technological tools; shares knowledge with colleagues
• Demonstrate ability to communicate with finesse, use tact, diplomacy and discretion with firm contacts and clients.
• Take initiative to learn new skills that will contribute to enhanced performance of the role.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, as needed.

Office Location: Palo Alto, CA; Centerville, UT or Roseland, NJ (Hybrid) Schedule: Full-Time, Monday through Friday

• CA: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM PT
• UT: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM MT
• NJ: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET

Amount of Travel Required: None

The expected salary range for candidates meeting the requirements of this position is $85,000 to $95,000 (UT), $90,000 to $100,000 (CA) and $95,000 to $110,000 (NJ). The range provided is the salary that Lowenstein Sandler in good faith believes at the time of this posting that it is willing to pay for the advertised position. Exact compensation will be determined based on individual candidate qualifications and location. Our benefits package includes coverage options for medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, life insurance, disability, FSAs, 401K, and paid time off.

Disclaimers: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required by employee.

Lowenstein Sandler LLP is not accepting resumes from search firms for this position. Regardless of past practice, all resumes submitted by search firms are to be deemed the sole property of Lowenstein Sandler LLP, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Lowenstein Sandler LLP as a result of the referral.

Lowenstein Sandler LLP is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.