The evolution of IP – the role of Paralegals

During recent years intellectual property (IP) firms have been relying ever more on their paralegals, making the most of their legal knowledge and skills. Using the skills of an experienced paralegal team can be a huge benefit to clients of all sizes, reducing costs and enabling tasks to be completed quickly and efficiently.

Some of the benefits of using a paralegal, rather than solely relying on an Attorney, are discussed below.

Qualifications & Legal Knowledge#

At Murgitroyd, many of our paralegals have recognised national qualifications. For example, several of our UK based paralegals have completed the patent administrators course, obtaining a qualification that confirms their knowledge of IP law and formalities procedures before key patent offices. The experience gained in obtaining this qualification, alongside further in-house training, means that standard and non-technical work can be undertaken accurately and promptly without any need for Attorney input. The experience of our paralegals ensures they can successfully deliver large scale formalities projects, for example assignment recordals and name/address changes amongst others.

Cost Effective #

Our paralegals have lower hourly rates than Attorneys making costs substantially lower for our clients than if an Attorney was to be involved. The experience of our paralegal team allows us to utilise their skills where possible to ensure all services are delivered cost effectively to our clients.

Project Management#

Our paralegals have the capacity to take on large projects and portfolio management and are highly skilled in managing & driving projects. For example, particularly where a client has acquired a large amount of new patents in various countries around the world, our paralegals have the knowledge and ability to determine what is required and provide the relevant documents in order to have the assignment recordal completed in the most efficient and timely way.

Client Contact & Management#

Our paralegals are experienced and accomplished in providing the best support to our clients. Where Attorneys can be tied up in meetings or hearings, our team of paralegals is always available to answer client queries in short order. Any queries on the portfolio or specific client procedures can be dealt with quickly and expertly without delay. Client needs can vary from one to another, and this can be easily accommodated by our experienced paralegal team.