Patent Associate

Overview

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its principal offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, Singapore, and Dubai.

Burford Capital is the largest and most experienced provider of commercial finance to the legal sector in the world, with a core expertise in identifying and optimizing the value of legal assets for companies and law firms. Since its founding in 2009, Burford has worked with hundreds of law firms and corporations, including 94 of the AmLaw 100 and 92 of the Global 100 largest law firms. Our team has grown from five people at the end of 2009 to over 150 people today, including over 45 lawyers. Burford possesses the resources and expertise of a large company while retaining the flexibility and creativity of a startup. Team members are smart, creative, collaborative, curious, and confident. Everyone rolls up their sleeves to perform and engage collectively for the overall success of the business. Burford values rigorous thinking, clear communication, and efficient execution. Burford is an “always on” environment in which everyone needs to be accessible by email when outside the office, including during evenings and weekends.

Position Requirements

• Review and analyze patent claims, patent specifications, and patent file histories.
• Learn about and become the internal expert on various patented technologies.
• Perform patent validity analysis, including review of prior art patents and other technical documents.
• Perform patent infringement analysis, including review of claim charts and related technical documentation.
• Review and analyze materials related to patent litigation damages.
• Collaborate with patent team regarding litigation strategy.
• Conduct research on various patent investment-related topics, including patented technology, potential litigants, counsel, courts and judges, and financial information.
• Interface with potential counterparties (including law firms and corporations) to gather, organize, and analyze investment diligence materials.
• Create written work product summarizing and making recommendations on assigned tasks.
• Work closely with patent underwriting and patent business development teams throughout the investment lifecycle.

Qualifications & Experience

• An undergraduate degree in an engineering or science discipline (computer engineering, electrical engineering, or computer science preferred). A graduate degree in engineering or science is also preferred but not required.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience performing substantive patent analysis, as a patent agent, a technical specialist, a licensing professional, an in-house advisor, a patent attorney, or otherwise.
• Strong aptitude for learning and understanding new technologies.
• Deep understanding of the U.S. patent system.
• Experience directly supporting patent litigation is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency with any or all of Docket Navigator, Lex Machina, PACER, USPTO PAIR, and other patent analysis tools a plus.

Core Competencies & Skills / Personal Attributes & Fit

• An analytical thinker, able to deconstruct and analyze complex issues.
• An efficient communicator, capable of explaining complex issues and describing them in plain language.
• Proficient with general science and engineering concepts.
• Practical and deal-minded, with a focus on providing commercially actionable guidance and solutions to colleagues and managers.
• A multi-tasker, capable of actively managing and prioritizing several projects concurrently.
• A self-starter, capable of taking initiative and proactively adding value to Burford’s underwriting and business development processes.
• A team player who can work collegially with team members at multiple levels and across various business functions.
• Professional demeanor, pleasant manner, and patience in all interactions internally and with potential counterparties.
• Ambitious and the desire to both hone existing skills and learn new skills.

Burford pays base salaries consistent with the financial services industry and favors incentive compensation to reward performance. Burford provides competitive health care benefits and a 401k matching program. Burford Capital is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status, whether or not they have a disability.