Patent Engineer

Patent Engineer

Banner Witcoff is a leader in intellectual property law for more than 100 years. We are the trusted IP partner of choice for organizations around the world. We provide sound legal guidance and inventive IP solutions to power business for start-ups, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between.

Banner Witcoff's Chicago office is seeking full-time Patent Engineers with backgrounds in electrical engineering. Patent engineers will work directly with engineers and scientists at client companies to prepare and prosecute patent applications describing cutting-edge inventions under the guidance of an attorney. Patent engineers learn about many different leading technologies every day from computer networking, to video processing, solar energy, and wireless technologies, including 5G and 6G.

Skills and Educational Requirements :

A bachelor's degree is required and 1-2 years of patent prosecution or industry experience in electrical engineering and / or a related field is preferred. Excellent academic credentials required. This is an entry level position that does not require legal training or passage of the Patent Bar exam.

Eligibility to sit for US Patent Bar is required. Candidates who are willing to take and pass the US Patent Bar within one year of hiring are preferred. Qualified candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and transcript.

Duties and Responsibilities :

• Patent engineers review the state of the art and work with inventors to identify novel features that can be patented.
• Draft patent applications and working with patent examiners at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
• Draft patent claims and claim charts.
• Conduct thoughtful patent searches to identify prior art for use in patentability searches and / or litigation matters.
• Technical review and citation checking of legal briefs in patent litigation.
• Strong writing, research, and technical skills.
• Interview inventors and complete CAD drawings and specifications describing inventions.
• Maintain knowledge of specific client requirements and needs for filing.
• Maintain file integrity and assist in prioritizing workload and monitoring compliance with due dates.
• Complete assigned work in a careful, expeditious, timely, and professional manner.
• Maintain high-quality work product and attention to detail.
• Patent engineers will be assigned a mentor and will be given internal training and will work with a reviewing patent attorney on their work product.
• Minimum billable hours requirement is 1,500 hours.

Opportunities for Growth and Advancement :

Location :

Banner Witcoff offers a competitive benefits package, including medical / dental / vision insurance, and 401(k), a 35-hour workweek, business-casual attire, and a friendly office environment.

The salary range for this role is $80,000 to $130,000 annually. This is an exempt position. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in Chicago. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's pay within the salary range will be based on numerous factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, geographical location, and business or organizational needs. This job is also eligible for an annual merit increase and bonus pay.

Banner Witcoff is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. The Firm will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, pregnancy, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, legal citizenship or any other status protected by law.

Instructions to Recruiting Agencies and Search Firms

Banner Witcoff will not accept unsolicited resumes, and will not pay a fee for any unsolicited submissions. We will not accept resumes from search firms or recruiters with which we do not have an established agreement, and any resume sent without request or prior approval from our recruiting coordinators will be considered unsolicited. In addition, please do not call or e-mail any attorney or staff at our firm without prior approval from our recruiting coordinators. Thank you for respecting our process.

Salary : $80,000 - $130,000