What does a patent attorney do?
A patent attorney is an intellectual property expert whose responsibilities revolve around assisting and representing clients on patent application procedures. A patent attorney must meet with clients to identify their needs, provide advice when it comes to trademarks and trade secrets, discuss and interpret complex subjects such as regulations and laws, and secure rights and properties. Furthermore, as a patent attorney, it is essential to review and negotiate contracts and proposals to avoid disputes in the future.
Patent attorney responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real patent attorney resumes:
- Advise client in requirements to achieve and maintain critical FCPA compliance.
- Conduct extensive legal research and prepare pleadings, discovery requests and responses and motions in trademark and copyright litigation matters.
- Conduct trademark oppositions, cancellations and appeals before TTAB.
- Review and execute infringement and invalidity analyses for patents relating to telecommunications and call routing in support of major infringement litigation.
- Represent individual and institutional clients in all aspects of commercial and residential real estate acquisition, financing and leasing and foreclosure.
- Handle subpoenas, discovery requests, and occasionally legal research to provide counsel to senior attorneys regarding statutory and regulatory issues.
Patent attorney skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Patent Attorneys are proficient in Electrical Engineering, USPTO, and Law Firm. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Interpersonal skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Patent Attorneys that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Electrical Engineering, 15%
Acquired specialized training in electrical engineering, computer science, and networking.
- USPTO, 13%
Conducted detailed interactions with the USPTO regarding patent prosecution.
- Law Firm, 11%
Drafted patent applications for the Oil and Gas Industry at Intellectual Property law firm.
- Litigation, 8%
Reviewed and executed infringement and invalidity analyses for patents relating to telecommunications and call routing in support of major infringement litigation.
- Patent Prosecution, 8%
Established a successful solo legal practice focused on patent prosecution and licensing for individual inventors and small businesses.
- Intellectual Property Law, 6%
Founded a small solo practice focused on business formation and Intellectual Property law Review and draft legal documents for small businesses
Common skills that a patent attorney uses to do their job include "electrical engineering," "uspto," and "law firm." You can find details on the most important patent attorney responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a patent attorney to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "lawyers interpret the law as it applies to their client’s case." Additionally, a patent attorney resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "performed clearance analysis and litigation support. "
Interpersonal skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling patent attorney duties is interpersonal skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "lawyers must build relationships with current and prospective clients, as well as with their colleagues and other members of the legal community." According to a patent attorney resume, here's how patent attorneys can utilize interpersonal skills in their job responsibilities: "demonstrated effective interpersonal skills through working closely with office of general counsel and administrative appeals judges. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of patent attorneys is problem-solving skills. This skill is critical to many everyday patent attorney duties, as "lawyers must evaluate information to propose viable solutions, mediate disputes, and reach agreements or settlements for their clients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "detail duties included classified andnon-classified litigation, risk management analysis, and government/contractor conflict resolution. "
Research skills. A big part of what patent attorneys do relies on "research skills." You can see how essential it is to patent attorney responsibilities because "lawyers need to find laws and regulations that apply to a specific matter in order to provide appropriate legal advice for their clients." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical patent attorney tasks: "conducted extensive legal research and prepared pleadings, discovery requests and responses and motions in trademark and copyright litigation matters. "
The three companies that hire the most patent attorneys are:
- Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc7 patent attorneys jobs
- InterDigital3 patent attorneys jobs
- AGCO2 patent attorneys jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable patent attorney resume templates
Build a professional patent attorney resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your patent attorney resume.
Compare different patent attorneys
Patent attorney vs. Council member
A Litigation Associate offers legal advice for individuals involved in lawsuits and represents them in court. They prepare pleading, collect evidence, defend depositions, and manage the client database.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between patent attorneys and council member. For instance, patent attorney responsibilities require skills such as "electrical engineering," "uspto," "law firm," and "litigation." Whereas a council member is skilled in "public policy," "finance committee," "community outreach," and "alumni." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Council members tend to reach similar levels of education than patent attorneys. In fact, council members are 2.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 38.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Patent attorney vs. Litigation associate
A Housing Counselor works directly with clients and organizations to support moderate and low-income clients in overcoming barriers to housing and financial stability. They represent the homeowner in interventions and/or mediation proceedings with the mortgage servicer, lender, and/or other stakeholders.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that patent attorney responsibilities requires skills like "electrical engineering," "uspto," "patent prosecution," and "computer system." But a litigation associate might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "discovery motions," "insurance coverage," "civil litigation," and "intellectual property."
On average, litigation associates earn a higher salary than patent attorneys. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, litigation associates earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $151,203. Whereas patent attorneys have higher pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $127,691.In general, litigation associates achieve lower levels of education than patent attorneys. They're 8.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 38.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Patent attorney vs. Housing counselor
The bankruptcy specialist is responsible for filing and documentation loan bankruptcy materials with the appropriate attorneys. They ensure full compliance with loan bankruptcy regulations and monitor accounts throughout the loan bankruptcy process to contact the appropriate party when necessary. A bankruptcy specialist might be an administrator or lawyer in a bankruptcy office and supports bankruptcy law. They are likely to evaluate state declaration and affidavits for legal progression, interact with customers and outside counsel about bankruptcy proceedings through written and verbal communication, and work with local counsel and upper management in effectively reviewing client's files.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a patent attorney is likely to be skilled in "electrical engineering," "uspto," "law firm," and "patent prosecution," while a typical housing counselor is skilled in "social work," "regulatory compliance," "crisis intervention," and "real estate."
Housing counselors earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $91,338. Comparatively, patent attorneys have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $127,691.housing counselors typically earn similar educational levels compared to patent attorneys. Specifically, they're 2.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 15.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Patent attorney vs. Bankruptcy specialist
Types of patent attorney
Updated January 8, 2025
