UK Firms Look to Europe for Qualified Patent Attorneys

Fellows and Associates highlight the difficult search for Electronics Patent Attorneys in the UK and how firms are now turning to Europe to recruit.

We’ve discussed in the past how electronics patent attorneys are few on the ground at present and it is becoming even more apparent with Fellows and Associates being instructed by firms to look beyond the UK and tap into the talent of our neighbours in Europe. UK Immigration Minister, Damien Green, has called for the “brightest and best” workers to benefit Britain, and in the current electronics drought, who better to fulfil this need and benefit from the glowing opportunities at hand than European electronics patent attorneys?

The solution used to be to recruit internationally from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, favouring the shared language and the commensurability of the legal systems. The workload for UK firms is becoming increasingly European, perhaps making more sense for them to hire EQE qualified rather than cross qualifying Australian, Kiwi or South African patent attorneys. Also, UK immigration is making it increasingly cumbersome for employers to recruit from outside the EU. Although a recent change to the visa application process has meant that South Africans can now apply for a priority visa service to the UK resulting in a quicker turnaround, this is only applicable for visitor visa categories and not for those who wish to settle permanently.

There has never been a more opportune time for those considering relocation to make the leap. Given the issues with the Euro at present, the salary prospects for EQE qualified patent attorneys have become commensurable, if not better than, those offered within Europe.  UK firms are currently enjoying increased success and the call for them to expand to meet the demand of the burgeoning workload has resulted in the route to Partnership for any joining patent attorney becoming clearer. Reflecting this current expansion, the route to Partnership is arguably quicker than that in Europe and of which the remuneration and dividends are enviable. Any tenacious European associate who is currently fighting the tide in their current role may see this as a juncture that cannot be ignored. 

The transition to becoming UK qualified is also much smoother for the Europeans, as they will only have to become cross qualified in UK patent law, rather than both in the case of their international peers. Also, any attorney coming from outside the EU will suffer from the time constraints of the European Patent Office regulations for perspective applicants. In order to qualify for the EQE applicants must have acted as an employee or undergone their training with a firm within one of the contracting states of the EU. This will mean that any international that wants to qualify in European law must work within the UK for an average of three years before even becoming eligible to apply for the EQE. European patent attorneys will have the luxury of automatically commencing training for the UK examinations and, if they are committed, will qualify in a much shorter period.

A myriad of opportunity becomes available for those who qualify in the UK; added to that those who are also European qualified and they become an extremely highly regarded profession.  The option to relocate to any of the international common law jurisdictions is very much a reality, creating not only new opportunities for the candidate in the UK at present time, but an abundance abroad in the future.  There is such a high demand for EQE qualified attorneys in the UK, especially in the field of electronics, that any applicants considering a move will have enormous negotiating power and a multitude of firms to choose from. Those who have not previously considered a move to the UK due to a trepid notion that there is simply nothing available will be pleasantly surprised at the bargaining influence they will be rewarded by taking the next step to relocate. 

The hunt for electronics patent attorneys is a topic close to our hearts, as we have recently undertaken the task appointed by numerous firms within the UK to shift our search to Europe to find the desired applicants. According to www.workpermit.com London was voted the most popular immigration destination for foreign professionals, which is reflective of the buoyant market at present. With salary increases, attractive bonus packages and a flurry of interesting and varied work being intrinsic benefits of a move, who would not want the opportunity?  So the question is, will they make themselves known or is a more aggressive search needed? 

 If you are an European Qualified Patent Attorney, or if you would like to give us your thoughts on this or any other article, then we would love to hear from you on contact@fellowsandassociates.com