Name: Joseph Sako Firm: Bristows Location: London University: University of York Undergraduate degree: History and politics
The future of patents Brexit is the dominant issue of the day and the uncertainty for law firms and clients means planning is a challenge. If the United Kingdom does leave the European Union, Joe notes the key questions that will arise for the UK patent world: “Can we still be a part of the Unified Patent Court? Do we still want to be part of it? What will it mean for UK proceedings generally?” Presently, a patent can be designated in lots of jurisdictions, but any proceedings concerning that patent will need to be brought in each country separately. However, Joe highlights that with the Unified Patent Court, it will be possible to bring one action at one court for all the jurisdictions, provided that the countries involved are part of the Unified Patent Court Agreement: “What does that mean for us? It means that UK firms may end up competing with EU firms.” Stamina – a marathon not a sprint From trainee level onwards, solicitors must be able to work with lots of different people, not just your immediate team, but also barristers, experts, witnesses and clients, some of whom may not work in or understand the law. “You will have to be able to adapt your way of working to those around you, learn from them and develop your own skills.” Litigation requires stamina. This is something that Joe feels lawyers don’t talk about much. “Cases can go on for months or years. You can be working on one big case for all this time and you must maintain your focus and concentration. New issues arise every day, such as technical points raised by the experts and requests from the other side – you have to be nimble with your own legal arguments to reflect these changes and keep track of developments so that nothing is forgotten when the next deadline comes around.” Let the stats tell their own story Joe advises budding solicitors to do as much research as possible, be it open days, law
fairs or simply speaking to people. “You can read all the marketing material you like, but each firm will say much the same – ‘come here if you want a challenging profession and varied work, we are nice and friendly’ – you will only know if the career and the firm is right for you if you go in and see it first hand.” Reflecting back on his own application, Joe wonders whether he focused enough on certain aspects that were important to him: “I’ve been lucky to find myself in an inclusive and diverse firm. However, when applying I should have looked at what the firms were doing to create a diverse and inclusive working environment. I think that tells you more about what a place is like than the biography that the firm has written about itself. Find out how many female partners there are, how many BAME colleagues are at the firm or LBGTQ+ initiatives are in place. Ask yourself whether the firm is genuinely inclusive. I think it can give you an inkling into how friendly and accommodating a place really is.” Before beginning his interview process, Joe expected a scary, corporate environment. Imagine his relief to find that lawyers are normal people who are generally friendly. “The hierarchy was not nearly as rigid as I had imagined: you can talk to people! It would have made my interview process much less daunting if I’d known. As a trainee there is potential to feel like a resource or a temporary body who will simply move on. Bristows made me feel part of a team.”
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