Trainee Patent Attorney – Engineering & Tech (2025 start date)

Are you looking for a career that allows you to apply the technical knowledge gained from your engineering degree in a legal and commercial environment? Do you have an inquisitive mind, a flair for writing and a love of problem solving?

If so, a career in Intellectual Property Law may be for you. 

Each year, we recruit a number of exceptional engineering graduates who are interested in starting a career in Intellectual Property Law. 

As a Trainee Patent Attorney at Carpmaels & Ransford, you’ll be involved in a diverse range of work from day one. With a renowned training programme, we offer the full support you’ll need to complete the training and examinations to qualify as a patent attorney in both the UK and Europe.

Why Carpmaels & Ransford?

We are a leading European intellectual property law firm. Through our passionate and award-winning team of engineers, life scientists, and regulatory experts, we advise some of the world’s leading healthcare companies. Our Tech team has established Carpmaels as the go-to firm in Europe for strategic and contentious matters.

We were awarded Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year at the 2023 Managing IP EMEA Awards and were also awarded Patent Contentious Firm of the Year and Impact Case of the Year at the 2022 Awards. We are consistently ranked as a top-tier firm by industry directories and have been awarded a Tier 1 ranking in the patent attorneys category of Legal 500 2024.

As a firm, we’re passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity of thought is vital to our business; it’s how we approach challenges differently and offer our clients creative and original solutions.  Through our work with organisations such as IP Inclusive, Stonewall and Business in the Community via the Race at Work Charter, we are putting the right steps in place to make sure that all our people feel supported and empowered to be themselves. Further information on our commitment to diversity and inclusion is available on our website.

A healthy work/life balance is very important to us and we run regular wellbeing events in addition to the large number of clubs and social activities that are available to everyone at the firm.  We are also enthusiastic supporters of our local community through partnerships with the Social Mobility Foundation and Holborn Community Association. 

What we offer

As a trainee in our Engineering & Tech practice group, you will have the opportunity to qualify as a UK and European Patent Attorney. The team brings together experts from a wide range of fields, representing some of the world’s leading companies. Their expertise spans a variety of engineering and tech sectors, ranging from surgical devices to lasers, from contact lenses to energy technologies, and from drones to drug delivery systems.

The team is regularly called upon to take on large due diligence projects for new technologies or acquisitions, when commercially relevant advice is sought on IP risks and opportunities. Many of the team have extensive experience of patenting computer software and related issues, and they are regularly asked to take over demanding cases that are critical to clients’ global patent strategies.

You will receive an annual base salary of approximately £50,000.

This is a fantastic opportunity put your degree to good use in a rewarding and intellectually stimulating profession. With a renowned training programme, we offer exceptional support for obtaining UK and EQE qualifications and beyond.

We're looking for exceptional graduates who possess a strong first degree (minimum 2:1 or equivalent) or PhD in the following areas:
-    Electronics
-    Electrical engineering
-    General engineering (with a substantial electrical or electronics focus)
-    Computer science
-    Software engineering
-    Artificial intelligence
-    Physics (with an electrical or electronics leaning or special interest)

Please note that we are not currently seeking applications from individuals with mechanical or aeronautical engineering backgrounds.

Further information on degree requirements can be found on our careers website. Your degree will be complemented by strong A Levels (typically 3 at grade A or equivalent).
In addition to your technical skills, you will have an excellent command of both written and spoken English. You enjoy analysing and conceptualising complex matters and have a passion and aptitude for problem solving. With strong time management and organisation skills, you are a strong communicator, both verbally and in writing.

We are proud to be using Rare Recruitment's Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) which allows us to consider your achievements in the context in which they were gained. We understand that not all candidate’s achievements look the same on paper – and we want to recruit the best people, from every background. 

The recruitment process

Our recruitment process is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your interest in a career within IP. If successful following the completion of our brief online application form and submission of your CV, you will be asked to complete a short, pre-recorded video interview. Successful candidates will be invited to a two-stage interview process.

We review applications on a rolling basis and consider all applications closely. Please do not worry if you don't hear from us straight away. 

Start Date: Mid-September 2025

We are proud of our inclusive culture where individual differences are celebrated, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and job applicants. We do not tolerate discrimination either directly or indirectly on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, socio economic background or any characteristic protected by law. Our approach is embodied in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, as well as our diversity and inclusion programmes.