IP US Filing Specialist; Late Filings

IP US Filing Specialist (Late Filings)

Cooley is seeking an IP US Filing Specialist (Late Filings) to join the IP Services team. The preferred work hours for this position are as follows:

Mountain Time: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Pacific Time: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The IP US Filing Specialist (USFS) (Late Filing) provides full support to patent specialists supporting patent practitioners and clients in filing and maintaining US applications and patents. The USFS (Late Filing) provides coverage and support during late evening hours, ensuring timely assistance for urgent US filings and requests; and performing required quality control functions to ensure compliance with firm and USPTO requirements.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate with patent business professionals, patent practitioners, and clients with respect to assigned US patent prosecution matters
• Manage incoming filing requests, tasks, including document preparation, and perform project work in accordance with established deadlines in the dedicated software platform
• Analyze correspondence received from USPTO to ensure accuracy of information
• Prepare and review required documents for filing, as requested; upload of same with the USPTO all US patent prosecution filings, including applications (utility or design, provisional, nonprovisional, divisional, continuation, and national stage), responses to any PTO actions or examinations, petitions, terminal disclaims, issue fee payments, etc.
• Prepare, file, and report of US formalities (e.g., POAs, assignments, declarations, drawings), and non-substantive USPTO documents, such as filing receipts, or notice of publications
• Prepare draft reporting for substantive USPTO actions, including preparing draft amendments/responses to official actions and notices to file missing parts, obtaining identified references, and processing notices of allowance
• Complete Office Action and Notice of Allowance review forms addressing any inventorship/assignment issues, and preparing related paperwork (e.g., extensions, RCEs, corrected ADSs, name changes, maintenance fee addresses, etc.)
• Generate draft QC checklist to be included with draft filing documents
• Proof Letters Patent, including review of issued claims and bibliographic information
• Provide client support for portfolio management, including accommodating client-specific reporting guidelines, and responding to client phone calls and/or emails relating to specific requests or reports
• Sustain working knowledge of US patent prosecution rules and recommend procedural modifications to accommodate changes as needed
• Complete administrative tasks in support of US filing specialists
• Communicate regularly with the assigned Patent Prosecution Specialist (PPS) regarding the timing of filing IDSs, as well as reporting any IDS filed to the client
• Perform quality control reviews of US patent filings as needed, ensuring all documents are accurate, complete, and compliant with firm and USPTO requirements
• Triage and prioritize incoming filings for QC review, communicating expected turnaround times to IP professionals and practitioners
• Collaborate with the IP Quality Control Manager and other team members to continuously improve QC processes and outcomes
• Maintain high standards for quality control in all aspects of the role, proactively identifying and addressing potential errors or inconsistencies
• Apply the firm's risk management directives and best practices to all late evening filings

The Trainee position carries out the same position responsibilities and functions as noted above; however, a Trainee's work product is closely monitored by a supervisor or manager and the Trainee has a reduced volume of work or caseload.

The Non-Senior Specialist carries out the position responsibilities and functions noted above and demonstrates the ability to consistently manage a regular workload and work independently.