Law Clerk – Intellectual Property and Trademarks

About Us:

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP is a leading national law firm focused on serving the transaction, advocacy and advisory needs of Canada's most dynamic business sectors. We have one of the largest business law practices in the country, serving multinational, national and mid-market clients from our offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

Our Culture:

At Cassels, our mission is to attract, retain and promote individuals of exceptional ability and talent from as broad a range of backgrounds as possible. We offer meaningful career opportunities, invest in professional growth, and foster an inclusive environment. Our Firm's success is built on the unique skills, perspectives, experiences and values of each individual. We encourage a corporate culture that respects and celebrates the dignity, value and diversity of all.

Role Overview:

Our Toronto office is currently seeking an experienced Intellectual Property and Trademarks Law Clerk to support the firm's Business Advisory Group. Reporting to the Manager, Intellectual Property Services, Trademark and Copyright, this individual will assist all trademark lawyers at the firm with the prosecution of Canadian and foreign trademark files, oppositions and with due diligence for intellectual property transactions. The ideal candidate will be an organized and eager professional who possesses great client service skills and a strong work ethic.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

Canadian Trademark Clerk Duties:

• Corresponding directly with clients under lawyer supervision.
• Assisting with trademark knock-out and clearance searches.
• Preparing and filing trademark applications.
• Due diligence searches related to intellectual property transactions.
• Preparing and filing of assignments, title documents and change of address information with CIPO.
• Managing deadlines on trademark prosecution, opposition and non-use cancellation proceedings.
• Requesting extensions of time.
• Coordinating foreign filings and monitoring of foreign trademarks.
• Reporting on and preparing responses to examiner reports.
• Classifying goods/services pursuant to NICE and the amended Trademarks Act.
• Reviewing and reporting approval and advertisement of applications.
• Reporting registration fee notices.
• Paying registration fees.
• Reporting certificates of registration.
• Ongoing monitoring of and renewal of registrations.
• Preparing statements of opposition, reviewing opposition correspondence/documents and entering relevant deadlines, filing section 45 requests, preparing evidence of use in section 45 proceeding, investigating references in search reports.
• Preparing internal documentation relating to CIPO fees.
• Processing of CIPO mail including the entry, monitoring and completion of deadlines in PATTSY docketing system.

The successful candidate must have the following education, experience and/or demonstrated skills:

• Law Clerk Diploma/Certificate.
• Knowledge of legal terminology, procedures and statutes.
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience in trademarks.
• Experience with drafting, prosecuting, and maintaining applications and registrations for industrial designs and related portfolio management would be considered an asset.
• Computer literate with strong working knowledge of legal software and standard software (Microsoft Office, PATTSY).
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent time management skills, prioritization and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work proactively with lawyers to manage trademark deadlines.
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written) including the ability to deal with clients, and all levels of lawyers and legal professionals.
• Maturity, consistency of approach and ability to relate to all levels of lawyers and legal professionals.

Employment Type
: Permanent, Full-Time

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation + Extended Health & Dental Care.
• RRSP Matching Program.
• Education/tuition allowance.
• Fitness Reimbursement Program.
• Diversity and Inclusion Centric Culture.
• A Culture of Wellness: Cassels recognizes the importance of wellness and provides a comprehensive program that addresses the mental and physical well-being of our employees by providing resources, services, training and support on an ongoing basis.
• A fully stocked kitchen with healthy snacks, plus coffee, tea, and drinks throughout the year.
• A business casual dress code (client/day specific).
• Employee referral bonus.

Cassels is an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and an accessible environment. It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, and we will provide appropriate accommodation for candidates with disabilities or accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process, upon request. Please contact our recruiter for any questions, accommodations or specific requests.

We wish to thank all applicants for their interest, however, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. We regret that we are unable to respond to individual inquiries about application status, unless required for accommodation purposes.