IP Practice Coordinator

We are always seeking talented, motivated, growth-minded, and creative individuals. Our firm is committed to providing employee support and advancement, while embracing inclusion and innovation as keys to a stronger future.

We invite you to explore the position below and to submit your application to join our team!

The IP Practice Coordinator will support strategic and tactical initiatives to help advance business goals and the day-to-day operations of the firm’s Intellectual Property practices. The IP Practice Coordinator will work closely with the Senior IP Operations Manager, Practice Directors, Practice Group Leadership and administrative departments to provide essential operational support. The IP Practice Coordinator will support initiatives related to relationship development with internal and external clients, Intellectual Property (IP) operations and data management, business analytics, project management, and problem solving. The IP Practice Coordinator also has administrative responsibilities as assigned.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Partners with various departments (e.g., Marketing, Legal Talent, Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Human Resources, Innovation, Client Care) to support business strategy as identified by Intellectual Property leadership.
• Under the direction of the Practice Directors or Senior IP Operations Manager, assists with the implementation of IP practice annual business plans, including staffing levels, billable hours, billing rates, and attorney development, all in accordance with Firm standards.
• Coordinates senior partner communication and direction.
• Creates, documents, and maintains documentation of business processes in all aspects of the practice, including billing, practice management, case staffing, rate and bill monitoring, and thought leadership.
• Prepares and maintains IP-focused reports and summaries (e.g., filing activity, portfolio status, data trends) to support business decisions.
• Monitors and helps maintain accuracy of IP-related data across firm systems and the USPTO, coordinating with IT as needed.
• Builds and maintains prosecution templates and reporting letters, utilizing Microsoft Office suite and the firm’s IPMS.
• As requested, reviews IPMS docket data for accuracy and adherence to established workflows, including both bibliographic and internal data.
• Prepares summaries of missing or inconsistent IP data (e.g., duplicate records, outdated internal personnel assignments) and coordinates with attorneys and staff to obtain and update correct information.
• Logs and tracks recurring data or process issues identified in the IPMS and provides summaries to the Senior IP Operations Manager to support root cause analysis and process improvements.
• Assists with user acceptance testing (UAT) for IPMS enhancements or data related projects by executing test scripts and clearly documenting results and issues.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Ability to exercise tact and discretion involving sensitive and confidential matters.
• Ability to work independently as well as on a team and collaborate effectively across administrative departments and Practice Group in all offices.
• Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail, even when under pressure.
• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate, in oral and written form, with people at all levels within the Firm.
• Proficiency with Excel for reporting and analysis required; in-depth understanding of Microsoft Office suite preferred, with an ability to quickly learn and utilize additional software solutions.
• Demonstrates ownership of responsibilities, flexibility, initiative, and a positive attitude.
• Familiarity with intellectual property concepts and workflows, including basic patent and trademark lifecycle stages.
• Comfort working with structured data and reports, including the ability to build and interpret IP-related metrics.

Education And/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree; a combination of training, education, and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position may be considered.
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience providing administrative support in a fast-paced environment.
• Legal or other professional services firm management experience preferred.
• Prior experience IP docketing, IP prosecution workflows, or IP portfolio reporting and analytics preferred.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau) preferred

The Firm will comply with any applicable city or state workplace mandates in effect in regards to Covid-19.

This position description is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of the job. The statements contained in the position description are not necessarily all-inclusive and additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned as determined by business needs.

This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

By applying for this position, you agree and understand that Troutman Pepper Locke will process your Personal Information pursuant to the terms of our Worker and Applicant Global Privacy Notice. If you have questions about our data handling practices, or you are a resident of California, the United Kingdom, or the European Union and wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity

Troutman Pepper Locke adheres to a policy of equal opportunity and will make all employment decisions, which include hiring, promotion, transfer, demotion, evaluation, compensation and separation, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, pregnancy, citizenship, disability, genetic information, marital or armed forces status and any other classification as protected by law.

Compensation is dependent on several factors, such as position, location, market, education, training, and/or experience.

Hiring Salary Range

$70,000.00 - $110,000.00