Intellectual property (IP) law is a diverse and interesting area. It is also important on a national and international scale.

There are different forms of intellectual property rights that arise under IP law for the protection of inventions, products, trade marks, creative works and designs. For example, there is the ever-increasing area of law involving the use of trade marks and copyright on the Internet.

Another expanding field is in biotechnology where a range of legal issues arise, in particular the protection and exploitation of technology and the patenting of DNA sequences.

What you can expect

An intellectual property lawyer has the good fortune to work in an area of law that provides a rich and interesting mix of work. As a result it is usually a popular field and can be quite competitive to get into.

As an IP lawyer, it is important that you are analytical, with technical skills in terms of drafting agreements (although this is not expected immediately), commercial awareness and an up-to-date knowledge of legislation. A scientific background is helpful.

The work/life balance tends to be fairly reasonable. However, expect to put the hours in if you are involved in a corporate transaction with an IP element, or very substantial patent litigation.

Since there is also a fair amount of client contact, it is important that you have good communication skills to help establish the aims and objectives of the client regarding their transaction. You must feel confident that you can communicate clearly with the client especially when technical areas require clarification.

Skills for IP lawyers

To succeed in intellectual property law you will need:

• commercial awareness
• the ability to think laterally
• organisation skills
• the ability to understand complex information
• analytical skills
• good communication skills
• the ability to pay close attention to detail.