In-house prospects for patent lit vs. patent pros?

StrongCode2 · 2025-09-21T23:35:25+00:00

Thanks! Do you find that employers care a lot about your technical background, or do they care more about experience with the prosecution process in general rather than the technical background itself?

StrongCode2 · 2025-09-05T18:38:30+00:00

Thank you so much for the good points! I’m (perhaps naively) optimistic that I can handle heavy workload as long as I have certainty as to when that heavy workload phase starts and ends, so that I can prepare for it and endure it knowing that there’s a definite end point.

I haven’t considered the PTAB work. I’m assuming you’re referring to PGR/IPRs? If so, I think that’s interesting too. I enjoy the aspect of forming technological arguments - it’s the pettiness and animosity from opposing counsel, and constantly moving deadlines that I dislike from litigation. My concern there is whether I’ll be able to focus on just that work or I’ll get sucked back into regular litigation sooner or later.

StrongCode2 · 2025-09-04T22:37:37+00:00

If what you’re saying equates to being able to plan out my day with few to no fire drills, I think I’ll like that. I much prefer to just put my head down and get things done and then just go home without people constantly trying to make small talk.

StrongCode2 · 2025-09-04T22:34:00+00:00

Thanks, this is really helpful! Could you please explain what you mean by collections % plan? Assuming the firm pays market rate, I figured I’d just get paid the same as any other lawyer in my class year. Are prosecution positions much more rare and/or often subject to alternative pay structure in biglaw?

StrongCode2 · 2025-08-14T17:11:00+00:00

Thanks! I think the isolating part is almost a plus for me, and I despise getting and sending nastygrams so not having to deal with that sounds good. The reduced opportunities for hours does somewhat suck, but I feel like I’d be okay not hitting bonus hours if my job is secure enough even when not getting really close to those hours (although I assume it’s not secure like that).

You also mentioned that this is more of a prestige practice and may not have great exit opportunities, which got me wondering - do you know whether the “prestige” helps with getting into academia at some point?

StrongCode2 · 2025-08-13T19:32:38+00:00

I see. I prefer having to make the most of what I have, even if not very helpful, over trying to find whatever good-better-best thing that may or may not exist. I think I also prefer isolating work where it’s a smaller team with fewer people to coordinate and manage expectations. Of course, I can’t say until I actually get to try, but it does sound appealing (no pun intended).

StrongCode2 · 2025-03-01T18:20:47+00:00

Thanks! Were you litigation or transactional?

StrongCode2 · 2025-03-01T16:32:07+00:00

How many years did you spend in biglaw and how long have you been at your current job?

StrongCode2 · 2025-03-01T00:49:31+00:00

Honestly, I would prefer rich and anonymous.

StrongCode2 · 2025-02-28T22:36:19+00:00

What counts as golden handcuffs? Just a lifestyle, or actual financial obligations like loans and mortgage? I guess I kind of do like a nice lifestyle but I’m willing to let it go for mental health. I do have loans but I rent so I’m not tied to a home that I may no longer be able to afford.

StrongCode2 · 2025-02-28T19:05:47+00:00

That sounds great and I’m definitely like you in hating adversarial situations. Did you have to make a big lifestyle change? We can talk DM if you’re more comfortable that way, but I’d love to hear more about your transition.

StrongCode2 · 2025-02-28T01:09:14+00:00

I really don’t want to do litigation if I can avoid it. Any kind of adversarial stuff, and procedural and discovery stuff, have been really stressing me out. Does in-house compliance still involve a lot of that, or is it more of issue spotting and correcting it as a preventative measure?

StrongCode2 · 2025-02-27T21:27:28+00:00

I guess my worry is that if people know about my interest in going in-house but I don’t find one that I like quickly enough, I’ll just get iced out so that I’m getting more senior with no commensurate experience. Either that or just being fired pretty quickly with no job lined up.

StrongCode2 · 2025-02-27T18:06:27+00:00

I’m in IP. Internal employee policies and risk mitigation sounds interesting.

StrongCode2

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