Legal Assistant

What We Do.

Smart & Biggar has been at the forefront of intellectual property (IP) and technology law for over 125 years.  We practice in every area of IP on behalf of an exceptional international clientele, and we are consistently ranked as Canada’s leading IP firm.  We are committed to hiring people with different backgrounds and experience, who represent the best talent in their field.

We are part of the IPH Group. IPH is the Asia Pacific’s leading intellectual property services group, comprising a network of member firms working in eight IP jurisdictions and servicing more than 25 countries. The group includes leading IP firms AJ Park, Griffith Hack, Pizzeys and Spruson & Ferguson and Smart & Biggar. IPH employs across Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Canada. 

We are passionate about what we do and what we can achieve. The IPH Group is committed to promoting and maintaining a workplace culture of shared respect across companies to enable us all to feel valued and be the best we can be. 

The Opportunity.

We are currently looking for Legal Assistants to join our national teams. In this role you will be part of our administrative team providing operational support to our patent agents and lawyers.

Opportunities are available for both permanent and temporary positions, with temporary roles being a minimum one-year term. This role is open to both bilingual (French/English) and non-bilingual candidates. These roles will fill existing vacancies.

Responsibilities.

• Prepare and file patent correspondence and related documents with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)
• Analyze documents received from the patent offices and write associated client reports
• Track and ensure compliance with statutory and internal deadlines
• Perform general administrative duties including creation of outgoing correspondence, time entry, preparation of invoices/billings and record management (in a paperless environment)
• Prepare correspondence to clients, foreign associates, CIPO, and other parties as required
• Other duties may be assigned or amended as required

Qualifications, competencies and experience.

• Legal or General Administrative Assistant Diploma
• 2+ years’ experience as an assistant in a legal or professional services environment, previous experience with IP would be considered an asset
• Proficiency in English required; French fluency is considered an asset
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to deal directly with clients and all levels of staff
• Excellent attention to detail, highly organized and proactive
• Highly proficient in MS Office and ability to learn new software and technology quickly

Compensation.

The base salary for this role will be positioned between $55, 000 - $75,000 taking into consideration factors such as location, job-related knowledge, prior experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

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Our recruitment process uses AI-enabled tools to assist with the assessment of applications based on job-related criteria. These tools do not make the final decisions. All decisions related to screening, interviewing and selection are made by our Talent Acquisition and hiring teams.

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Smart & Biggar offers a comprehensive total rewards package including:

• A competitive compensation structure based on transparency, clarity and fairness; 
• A flexible benefits program (effective from day one);
• A fitness subsidy;
• Personal days to help balance personal and professional commitments.

Smart & Biggar is a proud member of the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN), working to promote diversity and encourage a culture of inclusion in our Firm and the broader legal profession.

We welcome applications from all qualified individuals. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. 

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.