Emily Teesdale

"I would say the personality test did a good job of working out what makes me tick and the qualities you need to possess to become a patent attorney.I would say, especially, these qualities/personality traits are very important:Influencer - Good at explaining so that people understand Good with detailCan work on their own or in a teamGood at finding and reviewing informationThorough and reliableI also need to be good at persuading people with my argumentsManager -MotivatedAdaptableTeam orientatedOpen mindedEncourages discussion and listensGood organiserQuality Controller - TrustworthyNatural sense of justiceGood with detailCuriousGood at managing riskFair, honest and ethical"

"My job is all about helping my clients to protect their ideas. On any given day, that might involve:- finding out about their new ideas (making sure I fully understand them and what is new about what they have come up with), - drafting a patent application which describes and defines the new invention, - analysing other similar ideas to assess whether they might affect the patent application,- writing arguments as to why the invention is clever and different to other earlier ideas,- communicating the situation and any important implications to my client, and/or- weighing up options and explaining/recommending these to my client.Every now and then, I will need to prepare for and attend hearings (often in Munich in Germany), where I need to be up to speed with the case and be able to present my arguments as to why something should (or should not) be patented.My job involves a lot of keeping on top of deadlines, so being organised and diligent is very important.One of my favourite aspects of the job is seeing the ideas my clients have come up with and working out the differences and advantages over what has been done before, in order to protect the clever features. For example, I am currently working on some cases for Airbus concerning an “e-taxi” landing gear system to allow an aircraft to be powered through its wheels (rather than its engines) from the runway to the airport terminal. This could reduce fuel costs, air pollution and brake wear. The idea of an “e-taxi” system has been around for a while so what we are trying to protect are the new ideas of how it could be done – for example, using a roller gear as opposed to a traditional cog, means the system is more reliable."

"I have the following A Levels: Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, PhysicsMy degree is: Masters in Aeronautical EngineeringIf you would like to be a patent attorney, you would need a degree in an engineering or science discipline. The work you then do as a trainee is likely to relate to your degree. For example, I work with mechanical inventions, but have colleagues working with pharmaceuticals, vaccines, electronics and IT, for example.The route to becoming a patent attorney starts with a technical degree (such as Engineering or Science), followed by training “on the job” in patent law. This training enables you to obtain patents for your clients and help them protect their innovative ideas in the UK, as well as in Europe and other countries worldwide. The combination of the technical nature of the work, the complicated legal framework and the commercial aspects, to me, make it a really interesting field to work in.I won’t deny that the training (it takes about 5 years to qualify and pass all the required exams) is tough but, once qualified, it is so satisfying to be able to use the patent system to protect my clients’ technology and help their businesses to grow.If you think being a patent attorney, or a different career in the world of IP (Intellectual Property) might be for you, make sure you check out the following:- Careers in Ideas website - http://careersinideas.org.uk/- Our website - there are some profiles showing a typical day in the life - https://www.abelimray.com/careers/day-in-the-life"

"I love eating out and seeing friends. I also love dancing and going to the theatre."

"I would suggest you read the Day in The Life profiles on my company website: https://www.abelimray.com/careers/day-in-the-life"

"I have the following GCSEs: English (A), English Literature (A), French (A), German (A*), Double Science (A*A*), Maths (A*), Geography (A*), Religious Studies (A*)A levels: Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry, Physics (all A, A* did not exist then!)My degree is: Masters in Aeronautical Engineering (1st)After taking Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths, I felt I didn’t want to do a straight Science or Maths degree, and so Engineering seemed the obvious choice. I was also completely fascinated by aeroplanes (still am!) so Aeronautical Engineering called my name!At the end of my 4 year Master’s degree, I wanted to do something more than pure technical work and so was looking for a way to combine my Engineering degree with something else. After filling in a careers survey, “patent attorney” popped up as a potential career option and the more I looked into it, the more it appealed to me. I have now been working as a patent attorney for just over 15 years. I am also a partner in my firm - I love that I can continue to do patent work, whilst also helping to steer our business too. One role I have is leading our Diversity and Inclusivity group, which involves looking into the ways in which we can improve the diversity of the firm. "