Discover exciting career opportunities at f & e patent®. Find out about current vacancies and how you can become a patent attorney or patent paralegal.
At f & e patent® you will not only find a secure and varied job, but also friendly and dedicated colleagues who will support you during your training.
Flexible working hours
A familiar and trusting working atmosphere
A diverse range of tasks in an international environment
A good work-life balance
Patent attorneys are highly sought after in the job market because they are highly qualified and have completed a demanding training program that requires discipline and perseverance.
To become a patent attorney, you need a degree in a scientific or technical subject from a scientific university and one year of technical work experience. The practical technical work can be carried out before or after the studies, as well as during the studies. For example, technical or scientific work in connection with an experimental dissertation is recognized.
The training as a patent attorney begins with the official registration and lasts at least 26 months. During this time, you will attend regional working groups. During this time, you will also complete the course of study in general law at the FernUniversität in Hagen, which accompanies your training.
After successful completion of the first training phase, the second and third training phases follow at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) and the German Federal Patent Court (BPatG). These two consecutive training phases are also referred to as the " office year ".
The second training phase lasts two months, during which you will be assigned to a patent division of the DPMA for one month and to a trade mark division of the DPMA for one month.
After successful completion of the training at the DPMA, you will be transferred to the Federal Patent Court for the third phase of training. The subsequent training at the Federal Patent Court lasts six months. Of this time, you will be assigned to a trademark appeal senate for two months and to a technical appeal senate for four months.
Successful completion of the third phase of training is followed by the qualifying examination.
The examination consists of a written and an oral part and is usually held three times a year. The written exam consists of four exams, usually taken on four consecutive days. The oral examination is conducted as a group examination, with each candidate being examined for approximately 45 minutes.
Admission as a professional representative before the European Patent Office (EPO) is subject to passing the European qualifying examination (EQE). The purpose of this examination is to determine whether the candidate has the necessary skills and knowledge to represent applicants before the EPO.
To take the EQE, you must have a university degree in a science or engineering subject such as chemistry or biochemistry. You must then complete a three-year period of employment, for example in a law firm, during which you will carry out your professional activities under the supervision of a licensed European patent attorney. During this time, you will work on cases involving European and international patent applications and gain professional experience in all areas relevant to examination. You will also have the opportunity to attend part-time courses to learn the theoretical basics. Formal training, such as that required to become a German patent attorney, is not required.
The European qualifying examination, which usually takes place once a year, will be taken online from 2021 and is divided into different parts (tasks F and M1-M4). The first part (Task F) can be taken after the first year of employment. For tasks M1 and M2, you must have two years of employment, and for tasks M3 and M4, you must have three years of employment.
After successfully passing the European qualifying examination, it is possible to apply for admission as a European representative.
Can’t find the right job for you in our vacancies? Do you still have great ideas and would like to become part of our team?
Then send us your unsolicited application to job@fe-pat.de.