Current Vacancies at Adams & Adams

Duties and responsibilities

A Senior Associate position has become available at Adams & Adams (Sandton branch) within a dynamic team managing a holistic Intellectual Property law practice, and specializing in trade mark, copyright, commercial IP and entertainment law matters. 

The suitable candidate would be an admitted attorney, ideally qualified as a Trade Marks Practitioner with the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL), and have three to five years post-qualification experience of working in an Intellectual Property law firm.  Also, a passion for IP law, interest in working on matters pertaining to the creative and entertainment industries, and a drive for continued learning and expansion within a dedicated team of likeminded professionals would also be what we are looking for in the successful candidate.

Duties include, but are not limited to: -

• Commercial IP knowledge including License Agreements
• Conducting audits
• Reviewing trade mark portfolios and making recommendations
• Assist in Trade Mark filing strategy discussions and due diligence
• Prepare trade mark related legal advice and opinions
• Manage, coordinate and attend to major trade marks clearance and filing projects throughout the world
• Providing opinions, reports and quotes on the registerability of Trade Marks throughout the world, as well as any regulatory or copyright considerations
• Preparing and drafting of correspondence including responses to client enquiries and all routine correspondence
• Prepare and file Trade Mark applications, attending to registration and post-registration maintenance and renewals
• Managing deadlines
• Managing a diary
• Dealing with urgent matters and client requests
• Preparing reports and schedules
• Effect portfolio transfers and manage and develop multi-client portfolios
• Report official actions, comply with official actions
• Address and assist with Classification queries
• Updating client standing instructions and A&A’s records
• Do research
• Prepare marketing material, including articles for publication
• Client visits
• Ability to attract clients and build relationships

Requirements

Skills and knowledge

• Commercial IP Knowledge
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word
• Excellent language skills (good command of English, both written and verbal)
• Must understand the debiting procedures
• A meticulous, responsible person with a sense of urgency, who is able to prioritise duties
• Attention to detail is essential
• A conscientious, loyal and dedicated person, with the ability to think laterally
• Someone with a professional attitude
• Ability to give clear instructions to a secretary
• Prepared to work long hours where necessary
• Ability to work independently and under supervision
• Ability to handle the pressure of having to cope with large workload
• Knowledge of relevant Acts – e.g. Trade Marks Act
• Willingness to learn 

Candidate Profile

We are looking to employ a quality candidate with:

• The ability and drive to progress
• Leadership skills
• Commitment
• Academic excellence
• Enthusiasm and creativity
• Integrity and a zero-tolerance for negative intent
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to attract and generate work

 Qualification/s

• Admitted attorney
• Trade Marks experience
• Qualified Trade Marks Practitioner, in the process of being qualified (advantageous), or a real intention to qualify as a Trade Mark Practitioner
• Experience of working in an IP firm (Intellectual Property) will be highly advantageous
• 3 – 5 years post articles experience (advantageous)

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Duties and responsibilities

A Senior Associate position has become available at Adams & Adams within the Anti-Counterfeiting team (in Pretoria). The suitable candidate would be an admitted attorney, ideally qualified as a Trade Marks Practitioner with the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL), with more than three years post-qualification experience of working in an Intellectual Property law firm. 

We are looking for a dynamic candidate with ability to engage with International, Regional and Local Law Enforcement Agencies to arrange and attend training and search and seizure operations, as well as willing to travel into Africa and locally.

Duties include, but are not limited to: -

• Performing routine legal functions under minimal supervision of qualified legal professionals;
• Drafting and filing affidavits, civil summons and pleadings or other legal processes;
• Drafting letters of demand, undertakings, settlement agreements, etc;
• Drafting and filing default judgments Applications, other unopposed and opposed Applications;
• Briefing Counsel and attending to Court hearings, etc;
• Management and running of litigation and administrative matters;
• Arranging search and seizure operations and attending to post-raid formalities;
• Arranging Customs and Police training workshops locally and in other African countries;
• Travelling to African countries to attend training workshops for Law Enforcement Officials, in-market sweeps, etc;
• Preparing and drafting of monthly or quarterly clients’ reports and/or schedules;
• Liaising with local Sheriffs and other Law Enforcement Agencies (i.e. Police, Customs, Regulatory Officials, Storage facilities, transporters, etc);
• Dealing with matters promptly and efficiently and ensuring that all urgent tasks are completed on time;
• Attending to all areas of practice and office procedures including:
• Managing deadlines;
• Managing a diary;
• Dealing and assisting with urgent matters and client requests;
• Updating client standing instructions and A&A’s records;
• Research;
• Prepare marketing material, including articles for publication;
• Client visits; and
• Ability to attract clients and build relationships.

Requirements

Skills and knowledge

• Commercial IP Knowledge
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word; Excel and the Internet;
• Excellent language skills (good command of English, both written and verbal);
• Must understand the billing and debiting procedures;
• A meticulous, responsible person with a sense of urgency, who is able to prioritise duties;
• Display high level of initiative and being pro-active in practice;
• Attention to detail is essential;
• A conscientious, loyal and dedicated person, with the ability to think laterally;
• Someone with a professional attitude;
• Ability to give clear instructions to a secretary;
• Prepared to work long hours where necessary;
• Ability to work independently and under supervision;
• Ability to handle the pressure of having to cope with large workload;
• Knowledge of relevant Acts – e.g. Trade Marks, Copyright, Counterfeit Goods and Criminal Procedures Acts.
• Willingness and eager to learn and develop;
• Experience of working in an IP firm (Intellectual Property) will be also be an advantage; and
• Flexibility with respect to time & work (will be required to do work outside office hours).

Candidate Profile:

We are looking to employ a dynamic and quality candidate with:

• Ability, drive and vigour;
• Leadership skills;
• Commitment and long term goals;
• Academic excellence;
• Enthusiasm and creativity;
• Integrity and a zero-tolerance for negativity;
• Excellent communication skills; and
• Ability to attract and generate work.

 Qualification/s

• LLB and Admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa;
• Trade Marks Litigation experience, Anti- Counterfeiting work experience an added advantage;
• Qualified Trade Marks Practitioner, in the process of being qualified (advantageous), or a real intention to qualify as a Trade Mark Practitioner;
• Experience of working in an IP firm (Intellectual Property) will be highly advantageous;
• 3 – 5 years post articles experience (advantageous); and
• Computer literacy.

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Duties and responsibilities

• Typing/editing of correspondence and documents
• General administrative duties e.g., emails, photocopying, etc
• Preparing quotations for clients
• Checking formality documents received from client and preparing responses
• Responding to client queries and dispatching schedules of charges
• Selecting and preparing for client, appropriate assignment forms depending on chain of transfer of rights; and various other forms
• Identifying South African applicant in light of mergers/changes of name, etc.
• Preparing patent and registered designs applications for filing in South Africa (including divisional and patents of addition) and reporting to client
• Late filing of outstanding documents for applications in South Africa and reporting to client
• Checking applications prepared and late filings
• Checking correspondence and documents prepared and filed belatedly
• Working out invoices and invoicing clients
• Amending/correcting patent & design applications in South Africa
• Obtaining extensions of time for acceptance and registration, and for filing outstanding requirements
• Expediting patent and design registrations and applications
• Diarizing applications
• Opening of files
• Applying for new account numbers 
• Applying to amend existing account details
• Applying for revenue stamps
• Capturing charges onto file
• Doing Debit and Credit notes
• To carry out any ad hoc duties that are commensurate with the job level
• Open cases in Patricia

Requirements

Skills and knowledge

• Computer literacy with competent typing skills
• Excellent language skills (good command of English, both written and verbal)
• Ability to prioritise and deal with urgent matters promptly and efficiently
• A conscientious, loyal and dedicated person, with the ability to think laterally
• Someone with a professional attitude
• Ability to work independently and under supervision
• Ability to handle the pressure of having to cope with large workload

 Qualification/s

• Matric or equivalent qualification
• Experience working on Patricia and CMS will be advantageous.

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Duties and responsibilities

Adams & Adams is looking for individuals holding degrees in science or engineering to join the firm from 1 March 2023 as technical assistants to the firm’s patent attorneys in one or more of their Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban offices, on a fixed-term or permanent basis. 

Successful candidates may be expected to commence or continue studies toward a law degree upon joining the firm and shall be required to complete the examinations set by the Patent Examination Board (PEB). 

Performance measurements may include a requirement to complete a law degree within a predetermined amount of time and shall include a requirement to complete the PEB examinations within a predetermined amount of time. 

Where applicable, candidates may be offered a position of candidate patent attorney upon completing a law degree and the PEB examinations, depending on the meeting of additional performance criteria.

Responsibilities would include assisting patent attorneys in the firm’s patent department by providing technical input and guidance on the technical subject matter of inventions for which patent protection is sought; conducting patent-related searches; advising clients on aspects of patentability, patent infringement, and patenting strategy; drafting patent specifications; formulating and drafting technical arguments to counter patentability objections raised by foreign patent offices; reviewing patent specifications for compliance with South African laws and practices; and amending patent specifications. 

Working as a technical assistant to a patent attorney is drafting-intensive, comprising mainly the drawing up of legal documents and corresponding with clients.  Candidates who apply should therefore have a strong and well-developed writing and communication ability and must have an interest in building their skills and career around writing and communicating in the field of the patenting of inventions.

Requirements

Skills and knowledge

Candidates applying for the position should exhibit the following personal attributes, in respect of which they may be tested if shortlisted:

• strong writing and speaking abilities;
• a pre-existing interest in reading, writing, and communicating;
• able to work accurately with great attention to detail;
• excellent analytical skills;
• able to work in an organized, systematic fashion;
• able to work under pressure and to manage conflicting demands from various individuals in management positions simultaneously;
• able to work both individually and as part of a team;
• fully computer literate in Microsoft Office suite programs;
• a willingness to learn;
• problem solving abilities; and
• dedication.

 Qualification/s

Either of –

• a postgraduate degree (preference will be given to candidates in possession of masters and doctorate degrees) in chemistry (including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and biochemistry), biology (including microbiology, genetics, and biotechnology) physics, or computer science; or
• an engineering degree (with preference for chemical engineering, process engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical/electronic engineering, and mechatronic engineering)

Possession of a completed law degree is not required.  The nature of the position favours candidates who have not yet commenced studies toward a law degree, or who have only partially completed a law degree, and preference shall be given to such candidates.