The Team

Clyde & Co has been advising on intellectual property (IP), technology/media/telecoms (TMT) and commercial matters in the Middle East for more than 20 years. The firm boasts the largest full-service IP team of any international law firm in the region and a market-leading TMT practice. Whilst largely operating out of the Dubai office, the practice has team members in our offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

The group brings together an unrivalled level of experience across all specialist areas of IP and one of the longest-established technology law practices in the Middle East. The regional team handles a range of work across the spectrum of IP, TMT and general commercial law. This includes transactional work on a variety of contracts, IP prosecution and enforcement and advisory support on IP and technology issues including data protection.

Joycia Young leads the IP practice and supports a wide variety of local and international clients, devising and implementing brand protection strategies and enforcing IP rights. She has particular strengths in commercial IP with a focus on licensing, franchising and other commercialisation models, strategic IP advice and broader commercial and consumer regulation. Joycia has been continuously featured in the International Who\'s Who of Franchise Lawyers since 2009. From 2017 to 2021, Joycia has been named by Managing IP/IP Stars as one of the top 250 Women in IP, globally and since 2020, has been continuously ranked as the first and only "IP Transactions Star" in the UAE.

Dino Wilkinson leads the TMT offering and is recognised as one of the leading technology lawyers in the Middle East with a nomination in The Legal 500\'s Hall of Fame for TMT practitioners in the UAE. Dino\'s work includes advice on transformative software and outsourcing deals, as well as data protection and TMT regulatory work in the UAE and elsewhere in the region. His practice serves a broad clientele including government entities, financial institutions, and local and international technology clients.

With supporting lawyers and IP professionals from ten countries, including eight native Arabic speakers, the team produces work to the highest international standards with a strong appreciation of the cultural environment in which they operate in the Middle East. The practice prides itself on its ability to provide first class technical legal advice, which also reflects the commercial nuances of the local markets in which our clients operate. A large portion of the work is international, including support to global clients entering regional markets - particularly across the Middle East and North Africa - and advising local organisations on market expansion outside the region.

What the directories say

Sources commend the team as "an efficient group of experts who only do quality work and really are well qualified in their field."

Chambers & Partners, 2021

Top ranked for IP in the UAE in every year since 2010

Chambers Global

Top ranked for IP in the UAE in every year since 2010

Legal 500

"Known for its comprehensive practice in the region, Clyde & Co has set benchmarks for other firms to strive towards. Its pedigree and reputation are unquestionable. It excels at everything it takes on"

WTR 1000, 2018

The Role

We are looking for a mid-level IP Associate or a qualified trade mark attorney. The primary focus of the role will be in supporting the IP prosecution and enforcement practice, although candidates with relevant experience and skillset will also work on commercial IP and transactional matters.

Responsibilities will include:

• management of local, regional and global trade mark portfolios for local and international rights holders;
• advising on trade mark availability and registrability, and appropriate filing strategies;
• advising on and responding to office actions;
• handling contentious trade mark work, including advising on and drafting trade mark oppositions and cancellation actions;
• drafting and filing domain name complaints;
• providing advice on the protection of designs;
• managing deadlines;
• supporting senior members of the team and, when required, supervising and managing more junior members of the team
• supporting M&A and corporate transactions and other wider projects with specialist IP due diligence and research;
• business development, including attending meetings and events, writing articles and contributing to Clyde & Co business newsletters; and
• assisting with the preparation and delivery of proposals, pitches, presentations, and legal training materials.

Essential Skills & Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

• a trade mark attorney qualification in a recognised jurisdiction or a PQE level of 2 to 4 years\' post qualification experience;
• a strong academic background, training and experience gained at a well-recognised firm with an established IP practice;
• strong academics;
• a keen attention to detail;
• experience in managing high volumes of work and associated deadlines
• experience in carrying out detailed and methodical legal research across multiple jurisdictions using a range of available resources;
• experience of liaising with, and co-ordinating advice from, foreign correspondent counsel;
• confidence and initiative with a keenness to assume responsibility, work independently and take a pro-active and commercial approach to solving issues;
• strong inter-personal skills and a genuine interest in marketing and business development; and
• genuine interest in developing a career in the Middle East.

About the firm

Clyde & Co is a leading global law firm, helping organisations successfully navigate risk and maximise opportunity in the sectors that underpin global trade and commercial activity and enable global prosperity, namely: insurance, aviation, marine, construction, energy, trade and natural resources.

Globally integrated, Clyde & Co offers a comprehensive range of contentious and non-contentious legal services and commercially-minded legal advice to businesses operating across the world. It is committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves and provides an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment including through a commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

The firm has 490 partners, 2400 lawyers, 3200 legal professionals and 5500 people overall in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide.

Clyde & Co in the Middle East and Africa

With over 34 years\' experience in the region and the largest presence of any international law firm in the Middle East, we pride ourselves on being able to help clients recognise and overcome the challenges of doing business in the Middle East and Africa.

In the Middle East, our more than 55 partners and 150 legal professionals work from five offices located across the region. Our Dubai office acts as a central hub for our Middle East and Africa regional operations that include, in the Middle East, offices in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, Doha in Qatar, Cairo in Egypt and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Our large regional presence enables us to support our clients across the full spectrum of their corporate and commercial needs throughout the GCC and wider Levant.

Our deep sector knowledge covers insurance, energy, transport, infrastructure, marine and trade as well as aviation, education, finance, healthcare, hospitality, and technology.

Clyde & Co