Patent trainee experience: Alberto Casado

My dream job as a kid? An astronaut or a physicist.

How do I spend my free time? I listen to all kinds of music, work out, read books, enjoy nature, and practice martial arts.

The art of patent law: Dedication, practice, and patience

After spending more than a decade as a researcher in academia and a couple of years in the private sector, I started my new career as a trainee patent attorney at Papula-Nevinpat about one year ago.

Although challenging, the time here has been rewarding and exciting. In hindsight, I was more prepared for the job than I believed initially, but I was unaware of how challenging it would be to become a student again. Then again, those challenges were part of what attracted me to the profession in the first place.

What I wasn’t aware of was the amplitude of tasks and knowledge that the work of a patent attorney requires. In some sense, it feels like a kind of art to me, so it needs dedication and practice. A lot of it. And patience. A lot, too.

Key projects and learning experiences

During the past year, I’ve been involved in almost every stage of the patenting process — inventor meetings, drafting, filing, prosecution, grant, and opposition. I haven’t yet participated in any oral proceedings or appeal process, but I look forward to experiencing those. I’ve particularly enjoyed the in-person meetings with the inventors.

Nowadays, apparently, almost all meetings are held online, and even though I love digital technology and have always been a strong supporter of its advantages, there is nothing like a real-world face-to-face meeting for me.

Additionally, I’ve been delighted to find such a variety of people and backgrounds here, in great contrast with the strictly academic, scientific-minded environment I was used to in academia and the private research sector. Furthermore, being an ambivert individual, I appreciate this kind of work environment, where the tasks are mainly carried out individually, but still, people are always around to chat and discuss work and life matters.

Given my multidisciplinary background and having been taught, as a physicist, to be able and ready to understand any scientific and technical concept, I’ve been able to work in seemingly different fields, from photonics through mining devices to AI. This is another reason why I enjoy this job.

I’m sitting the Foundation EQE exam (a qualifying exam for European patent attorneys) in March next year, which is proving to be demanding. However, the support and training provided by Papula-Nevinpat are preparing me very well for it. Hopefully, I will share some positive results in about another half-year!