Private Practice

Patent attorneys that work in private practice will be expected to advise and educate clients through the patent application process whilst carrying out their instructions. These attorneys will be working with a wide range of technologies and brands, dealing with several patent applicants for multiple clients simultaneously, and are expected to work to tight deadlines.

Patent attorneys working in private practice will have more focus on customer services and business development of the firm than in-house attorneys. Depending on the size of the firm, they may also deal with contentious issues around infringement, validity, and enforcement. Private practitioners will also be responsible for representing their firm and their relevance to the success of the firm is more obvious than those working in-house.

Candidates will be hired as trainees, where they will be expected to work under the supervision of a qualified patent attorney whilst sitting the qualifying examinations; some firms will not allow engagement with clients until the trainee is fully qualified.

Once qualified, a patent attorney working in private practice can work their way through the firm to become a partner or director. Alternatively, private practitioners can become self-employed, either by taking on freelance work or setting up their own firm.

In-House

In-house patent attorneys can work in any industry that manufactures a product, such as food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or automotives or which offers a technical service e.g. via online computer services. They will work on all IP issues related to the products that their employer produces.

Corporate intellectual property departments require patent attorneys to consider any issue that the company may face regarding IP rights. For example, they will be responsible for harvesting and evaluating intellectual property, registering and securing patent rights, and patent infringement issues. They can also be responsible for licensing technology to or from their employer and getting involved in deals to buy or sell technology and the relevant IP rights.

In-house attorneys will work closely with the inventors and are expected to learn the company’s technology and make judgements based on what is best for the company. They play a crucial role in providing commercial stability and development of their employer by working with, and educating, non-IP colleagues and departments.

Candidates will start as trainees working under a qualified patent attorney and will also be expected to sit all the qualifying examinations. Once qualified and experienced, in-house attorneys can work up to become the head of the intellectual property department and could be responsible for managerial tasks, including budgeting and forecasting.

In addition to working in industrial organisations, some in-house patent attorneys find work at a charity, helping charities meet legal obligations and ensure they comply with the necessary acts, regulations, and recommended practices. They will be responsible for protecting the intellectual property rights of charities, including trade marks, copyrights, and licensing agreements.

A small number may also be employed by government departments, such as the Defence Intellectual Property Rights (DIPR) group in the Ministry of Defence (MOD). DIPR has responsibility for all aspects of Intellectual Property (IP) within the MOD, including setting intellectual property policy, managing the protection and exploitation of MOD-owned intellectual property, drafting intellectual property conditions for MOD contracts and negotiating intellectual property aspects of international agreements.

Others

Some patent attorneys may go on to become Tech Transfer Managers, either in research or academic institutes, in-house in industry or in specialist intellectual property firms. These attorneys are responsible for advising technology transfer clients on strategies to deal with and protecting the intellectual property associated with these valuable innovations so that they can be licensed and commercialised and brought to the marketplace for society’s benefit. They may also be involved in a wide array of activities to support the commercialisation process of the organisation.

Salaries and Benefits

As with every industry, salaries vary depending on a range of factors, including but not limited to, location, type of employment, area of expertise, experience, and qualifications.

Typically, as a trainee patent attorney you can earn around £35,000, which rises as you become part-qualified; a trainee that has passed the foundation examination can earn around £50,000 and those working toward the final diploma can earn around £60,000. *

Newly qualified patent attorneys can earn around £75,000 and within four years this can rise to around £100,000, whilst partners can earn over £130,000. *

In private practice, salaries are often linked to qualifications and experience. In-house attorneys can earn more after becoming fully qualified; however, equity partners in private firms typically earn the highest for patent attorneys.

On top of the potential earnings, other benefits include excellent job security, as there are often more open positions than people to fill them, having membership to the professional membership paid for by your employer, flexible working location and hours, private healthcare, and training courses and examinations paid for.

Working hours are typical office hours, but this can vary depending on deadlines, and hybrid and flexible working is widely available. Patent attorneys work is largely office based, but there will be visits to clients, courts, and national and international patent offices.

*These figures are averages collated from Fellows & Partners, SaccoMann, Dawn Ellmore, and Caselton Clark, and are accurate as of March 2025.