McNeill PLLC, a certified majority women-owned biotech and pharma-focused Intellectual Property (IP) boutique, is looking for a highly skilled Practice Management Coordinator with at least ten years of extensive experience in an IP law practice to join our collaborative administration team.
The Practice Management Coordinator is the firm’s subject matter expert in patent prosecution processes and firm practice standards. This role focuses on monitoring rule changes, creating and maintaining firmwide practice guidance, training and documentation, and supporting both practitioners and paralegals with complicated or unusual procedural questions. The Practice Management Coordinator will maintain a part-time docket billing for client work as a patent prosecution coordinator. This role reports to the Paralegal Manager, and also works in conjunction with the Practice Management Partner. This is a non-exempt role that can be filled by a full-time or part-time candidate.
Responsibilities
Practice Guidelines & Training/Documenting Materials (with partner review)
- Review and maintain patent practice forms and client handouts on important topics.
- Prepare, maintain, and update IP practice guidelines on the intranet.
- Develop and refresh firmwide reference materials, handouts, templates, and process documentation on the intranet.
- Implement or delegate policy, guideline, and workflow updates.
Collaborating with Paralegal Manager
- Work closely with the Paralegal Manager to ensure practice updates are communicated and implemented.
- Provide emergency coverage in uncommon situations when paralegals are unavailable.
IP Practice Guidance/Subject Matter Expertise
- Serve as a subject matter expert in patent prosecution, addressing challenging daily questions involving complex, unusual, or procedural issues.
- Provide guidance to practitioners and paralegals on best practices and evolving procedures.
- Act as a resource for researching and interpreting and applying USPTO, WIPO, and foreign rules.
- Assist with onboarding of new practitioners and paralegals.
Monitoring Rule & Process Changes
- Monitor IP rule changes and procedural updates in US, PCT, and foreign patent practice.
- Flag relevant changes to the Practice Management Partner.
- Prepare client alerts regarding upcoming rule changes. This will include drafting client communication in coordination with the Practice Management Partner, obtaining partner feedback and approval, and coordinating with the assigned paralegals to send the approved language.
Ongoing Education
- Participate in IP groups, webinars, and professional forums to stay current on developments and system changes.
ABOUT YOU
The successful candidate will possess excellent written and communication skills and strong organizational skills. Because our firm operates across many states and with cloud-based systems, we require the ability to work independently and communicate effectively with the practice management partner, partners, paralegal manager, paralegals, and administrative team members in different offices. A high level of proficiency with computer systems and excellent Microsoft Office skills.
ABOUT US
A group of former big law attorneys founded McNeill in 2014 and continue to practice high value, strategic patent prosecution and client counseling in a smaller firm environment. Our attorneys are nationally recognized leaders in chemistry and life sciences patent prosecution and counseling, and the firm has been ranked as a recommended firm for patent prosecution for multiple years.
We love what we do! We work with the best and brightest innovative clients at the cutting edge of biotechnology and chemistry. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a big firm level environment, while benefiting from the firm's strong commitment to reasonable work hours, family-friendly atmosphere, and respect for employee work-life balance. We are committed to equity and inclusion across race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, identity, religion, and experience.
- The firm has never had a central brick-and-mortar location and instead uses advanced cloud-based networking capabilities. This eliminates commuting and allows us to hire the best candidates from different locations.
- Salary commensurate with experience. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, disability insurance, life insurance, wellness programs, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and alternative work schedules (the option to work a compressed workweek) after a minimum tenure of one year for eligible employees. The firm also provides a competitive salary, 401(k) plan with generous matching component, four weeks of paid time off earned on a pro rata basis throughout the year, generous paid parental leave, bereavement leave, and twelve paid holidays including the employee’s birthday. Eligible employees may elect to make pre-tax contributions to a flexible spending account or a health savings account.
- We provide home office equipment.
- We support professional development by providing training.
- Compensation range: $70 - $90/hour
Contact
Please submit a resume, cover letter, salary requirements, and desired schedule.
Candidates may apply from AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, KY, MD, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NH, NC, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VA, WA, and WI. The successful candidate will work from their own home office.
McNeill PLLC does not accept resumes through search firms or other third parties. We only accept resumes directly from candidates who are interested in joining our firm.
Those applicants requiring reasonable accommodations to the application and/or interview process should notify the human resources manager.
This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the US. For more information about E-Verify, please go to www.dhs.gov/e-verify.
Massachusetts law requires we make the following statement: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. We do not use lie detector tests for our employees in any state.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: $70.00 - $90.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- Did you provide a cover letter? Please be sure to provide a cover letter.
Experience:
- IP law practice: 10 years (Required)
Work Location: Remote
