Lucy Ferrat joined the IP/IT team in November 2018 and this was her final seat before qualifying as a solicitor. In this article she answers some questions about what it was like in our Intellectual Property & IT team.
What kind of work do we do?
Whether they know it or not, every business owns and uses intellectual property and for many of them it is among their most valuable assets. The team collaborates with clients on matters relating to their designs, trade marks, brands and reputation, online presence and trading, information technology, data protection and cyber security.
The team works on a mix of contentious and non-contentious matters and trainees are encouraged to gain experience in all of the team’s specialisms.
What is the role of the trainee?
The majority of my work stems from our clients’ online presence and from information technology-focused clients, for example drafting e-commerce terms of business. However, I have also assisted with the preparation of letters before action, briefs to counsel and in cross-team disclosure exercises on IP, IT and data protection matters in asset or share purchases.
We also offer an “IP MOT” service which identifies the IP assets used in a client’s business and any areas of weakness in their ownership and protection. I have prepared quite a few of these since I joined the team!
Client exposure?
Trainees are encouraged to engage with clients and to take an active role in case progression. I anticipate that this will develop as I gain experience in the seat. In the meantime, I regularly have the opportunity to attend both client meetings and marketing events with my supervisor, Ben Travers.
Something I’ve learned during this seat?
It’s never too early to be involved in business development. The team encourages trainees to be involved in marketing and meeting potential new clients.