Associate

Farrer & Co is synonymous with the highest quality legal advice and service.

The firm advises a diverse range of clients: businesses, financial services (including Fintech), educational and not-for-profit organisations, and individuals and families on every aspect of the law, wherever the need arises.  Significant clients include Imperial College London, Telegraph Publishing, The Economist, BMJ Publishing, Portman Group, Vistra, Deutsche Bank, Hoare & Co, the British Library, the Natural History Museum, Motability, Chelsea FC, Henley Royal Regatta, UK Athletics and the Lawn Tennis Association.

Our clients value our in-depth knowledge, technical excellence and diversity of disciplines.  What really underpins our long-standing relationships with them is our approach: pragmatic, plain speaking and always steadfast in our values.  Values which mean we gain our clients' trust, always strive to do the right thing, and aim for the best results for them.  Superb client service sits at the heart of everything we do.  

Background

The opportunity arises in a team which has grown by 30% in the last 5 years, with the last two seeing accelerating performance, across client types.  Old and new clients have fuelled new instructions in all areas of commercial and IP work.  We have also benefited from successful expansion in other parts of the firm, notably Banking and Financial services, but also Corporate, Charities, Property and Private Client.  This has created a diverse and dynamic practice, and a demand for commercial and IP advice, with a particularly strong emphasis on brand-related work (including trade mark management), commercial contracts and IT contracts.

The firm's diverse practice is replicated in the team's work. 

We therefore need intellectually curious lawyers, who have the versatility on any given day to switch from corporates to charities, and from universities to individuals, and between different complex problems – and to adapt their style of advice accordingly.  Much of what we do revolves around intellectual property, but the problems our clients need us to solve vary widely – from managing trade mark portfolios and brand protection to creating innovative platforms to exploit it; from corporate and commercial transactions to preparing business-critical documents and strategic opinions. 

The position sits at the heart of the IP & Commercial team, and will involve working with all partners in the team.  It also offers exposure to partners outside the team (especially from our Corporate, Charities and Banking teams).  While the role will focus on fee-earning, there will certainly be a chance and indeed encouragement to join in marketing and business development activities, including writing articles, delivering presentations, attending networking events and travelling, sometimes overseas, for conferences.

The Associates in the IP & Commercial team may occasionally be asked to fulfil full-time or part-time secondments with some of our larger institutional clients.

The main focus of the role will be on intellectual property and contract law.  The successful applicant will have a solid background in and understanding of the following non-contentious IP and IT-related work:

• trade marks and copyright;
• software and other IT transactions; and
• commercial contracts.

Ideally the candidate will have experience of Trade Mark Registry and EUIPO work, including oppositions and revocations.

Other areas of law where a degree of familiarity would be beneficial include:

• publishing;

• IP/IT due diligence;

• copyright and databases;

• licensing and franchising;

• consumer law; and/or

• competition law.

• High level of technical knowledge relating to commercial, intellectual property and contract law.
• Efficient communication skills and the ability to communicate advice to the person receiving it.
• The ability to deal with many matters at any one time.
• The organisation skills to keep files in order and to project manage transactions to completion effectively.

• Applicants should combine high intellectual calibre with a pragmatic and commercial approach to the law.
• An enthusiasm for team work and an ability to assume responsibility and deal efficiently with a varied and often demanding workload are key requirements.
• Fee earners at every level at Farrer & Co have a high degree of client contact. The successful applicant must be comfortable meeting and speaking with clients and other professionals.
• Ideally, the successful candidate should be ambitious and with wide interests across the business and not for profit sectors.
• The candidate will become an integral part of an established and highly regarded team.

• Minimum 2.1 degree and a training contract undertaken in a mid-sized or city firm.