Job Description:
Global Patent Solutions, LLC (GPS) has grown to become one of the
nation’s leading intellectual property (IP) research and consulting
firms. In addition to supporting the nation’s leading technology
companies and IP law firms, GPS is a premier provider of IP-related
services to the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO).
Our ongoing success and growth is creating the need for us to expand
our Team. Specifically, we are presently seeking motivated
Paralegal/Legal Assistant’s to work with us performing paralegal
services in support of a contract with the Trademark Office at the
USPTO. The Trademark Office has experienced a historic surge of new
trademark filings over the past year, and they have also seen an
increase in suspicious trademark application submissions ranging from
inaccurate to fraudulent. As part of their response to these
challenges, the USPTO is engaging support from GPS to provide a
solution. This is an opportunity to leverage your experience and
background to assist the USPTO’s efforts to protect the integrity and
accuracy of the trademark registry and keep the system effective for
everyone. In addition to the immediate opportunity this position
affords today, the knowledge you will gain, and the skills employed
while performing this job, will position you well for future IP career
opportunities. Come grow with us!
Responsibilities:
The individual in this role will need to be able to work
independently and manage multiple concurrent priorities, with minimal
oversight. It is expected that the individual, once trained, will be
able to prioritize their own work to ensure all quality and timeliness
commitments are met to the full satisfaction of our customer (the
USPTO). It is also anticipated that this position will provide
oversight, mentoring, and guidance for less senior Paralegal
resources. Specific accountabilities include:
* Conducting preliminary legal research and summarizing findings
including trademark classification searching and analysis
* Gathering and analyzing statutes, decisions, and legal articles,
codes, documents and other data
* Managing correspondence material for and from applicants and registrants
* Performing preliminary evaluation of specimens of use submitted
with trademark applications to determine whether they include
characteristics suggesting that the goods displayed on the specimen
are not in actual use in commerce;
* Reviewing e-commerce sites to look for factors inconsistent with
being a true point of sale;
* Reviewing identifications of goods/services for conformance with
procedural requirements;
* Reviewing domicile information for conformance with the USPTO’s
rules of practice;
* Assisting with organizing efficient examination of applications; and
* Assisting with compiling information for administrative letters and
Show Cause Orders.
* Keeping law library up-to-date by monitoring legal volumes
* Assisting with other tasks as needed, including but not limited to:
- Researching property records, publicly available address
directories, and state government business entity databases to
gather information on applicants;
* Researching web sites to determine their ownership and whether the
sites are in actual operation;
* Researching applicant information to clarify concerns about
trademark ownership and domicile addresses;
* Researching or verifying attorney information provided in trademark
filings; and
- Researching business entities to determine ownership structures
and domicile information review.
Overarching Expectations:
- Quality: For GPS, quality is at the pinnacle of the work we
perform. Employees must share in our belief and commitment of
providing the highest quality of work.
- Timeliness: Meeting agreed upon deadlines will be vital to success.
- Continuous Improvement: Employees must be committed to continuous
improvement, availing themselves of training and educational
resources provided by GPS, the USPTO, and/or otherwise publicly available.
- Independent Self-Starter: The individual in this role will need to
be able to work independently and manage multiple concurrent
priorities, with minimal oversight. It is expected that the
individual, once trained, will be able to prioritize their own work
to ensure all quality and timeliness commitments are met to the full
satisfaction of our customer (the USPTO).
- Teamwork:Lead by example. Exemplify the positive attributes
necessary to create and maintain a culture committed to high
performance and support for both individual and collective
team-member success.
- Leadership: Provide guidance and oversight to less senior support
personnel. This includes performing quality reviews and providing
guidance, training, mentorship and feedback.
Experience:
GPS is seeking support personnel who have knowledge and experience in
U.S. Trademark prosecution.
- At a minimum, personnel should have at least 1 to 3 years of
relevant experience and familiarization with the statutes,
regulations, and processes governing Trademarks, including the
Trademark Act, the Trademark Rules of Practice, and the TMEP.
- While not required, additional experience in non-IP areas that
involve investigating addresses, entity structures and individuals,
such as bankruptcy and collections, would be beneficial.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of six (6) years of job experience; Bachelors degree preferred.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or reside in the U.S for the most recent
two years as a work-eligible legal resident. (Employment will be
subject to security clearance.)
- Excellent time management skills to properly plan and complete all
work on-time.
- Proficiency with computer databases, online research tools,
spreadsheets and word processing software
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Exceptional research and analytical skills
- Ability to investigate facts and laws of cases, search public
records and other resources to prepare cases and determine causes of action
- Detail-oriented