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Patent Agent/Lawyer Careers / Suitable background for a career change to IPR law?
« on: 01-18-11 at 04:08 pm »
Hello,
I'm currently thinking about a new direction for my career. The reason for this is that my background is that I have ended up in a senior but rather specialist position, which really limits my opportunities to move on. I'm currently based in the Belgium, but for various reasons I'm keen to move back home to London. I've had plenty of contact with IPR law over the years, and I've always found it very interesting.
I have a degree in electronics, and close to twenty years experience working in the electronics, broadcasting and telecommunications industries (all for one very large company). I started out as a developer and project leader. For the last ten years or so, I represent my employer in industry standardisation forums and alliances. I prefer not to say exactly which ones, but well known examples of these organisations include the Blu-ray Disk Association, which is the consortium of companies that develops and maintains the technical standards and compliance regimes for Blu-ray players and disks; and DVB, which develops technical standards for the digital television industry. I have done everything from writing and defending technical proposals for inclusion in technical standards, to helping set up a new organisation from scratch and then sitting on its board of directors. IPR is a central (although often unspoken) theme in the work of these organisations.
I'm guessing this must be relevant to IPR law firms to some degree. :-) Would this background be attractive to patent law firms to take me on as a trainee, with a view to becoming a patent lawyer (bearing in mind that I'm in my early forties!)? Would my experience be an advantage? Or are there other likely opportunities in the area of IPR law, for which my background would qualify me?
Your views would be very much appreciated!
I'm currently thinking about a new direction for my career. The reason for this is that my background is that I have ended up in a senior but rather specialist position, which really limits my opportunities to move on. I'm currently based in the Belgium, but for various reasons I'm keen to move back home to London. I've had plenty of contact with IPR law over the years, and I've always found it very interesting.
I have a degree in electronics, and close to twenty years experience working in the electronics, broadcasting and telecommunications industries (all for one very large company). I started out as a developer and project leader. For the last ten years or so, I represent my employer in industry standardisation forums and alliances. I prefer not to say exactly which ones, but well known examples of these organisations include the Blu-ray Disk Association, which is the consortium of companies that develops and maintains the technical standards and compliance regimes for Blu-ray players and disks; and DVB, which develops technical standards for the digital television industry. I have done everything from writing and defending technical proposals for inclusion in technical standards, to helping set up a new organisation from scratch and then sitting on its board of directors. IPR is a central (although often unspoken) theme in the work of these organisations.
I'm guessing this must be relevant to IPR law firms to some degree. :-) Would this background be attractive to patent law firms to take me on as a trainee, with a view to becoming a patent lawyer (bearing in mind that I'm in my early forties!)? Would my experience be an advantage? Or are there other likely opportunities in the area of IPR law, for which my background would qualify me?
Your views would be very much appreciated!
