Siân Watson

I joined S&P with no prior knowledge of the world of intellectual property (apart from what I’d heard on Dragons’ Den)!

I knew from my interview that I would enjoy working with the people here.  I’m a secretary working in the patents side of the business, supporting a team of patent attorneys.  We work collaboratively – team spirit is strong and the office is a supportive environment.

Our work is varied.  We monitor deadlines; produce correspondence, which we send to clients and patent offices; keep records of fee earners’ professional time; create invoices; prepare patent applications for filing, and deal with day to day patent administration.  Our work is deadline driven and we’re often very busy but colleagues always have time to help each other out.  

Our work has to be accurate and training is thorough.  We all learn at our own pace, making sure that we understand each task before moving on to learn the next.  There is always something new to learn, no matter how long you have worked here!

The things we have in common are an eye for detail, a methodical approach to work, willingness to learn, mild pedantry and a sense of humour (we laugh a great deal).  

Outside the office, we enjoy social events such as board games, meals out, and the occasional sporting event.