Training and Development

Each year, we recruit a number of Trainee Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys to join our successful firm. Trainees join us as Technical Assistants and are allocated to our EES (Electrical, Electronics and Software), EMCP (Engineering, Materials and Consumer Products), LS (Life Sciences) and TM (Trade Mark) practice groups.

To help our staff reach their full potential, we provide a comprehensive and structured training programme that is recognised as being one of the best in the profession. We invest time and resources in developing our talent, providing support from day one. Every new trainee will work closely with the partners of the firm, who will be responsible overall for training and development as the new joiners develop their role in the teams looking after our clients.

As a complement to this traditional learn by working training, we have developed a bespoke training programme for our new trainees, which is intended to bring them up to speed with some of the core concepts of intellectual property law, and to provide a degree of communal practical tuition. The training programme begins with a two-week intensive training induction (“Bootcamp”), introducing the basics of patent law, trade mark law and other intellectual property rights including design protection.

The training induction also includes sessions dealing with important practical aspects of the job including, but not limited to “how to communicate with clients”, “effective marketing”, and “the role of a trainee”. The training programme then continues with weekly sessions devoted to practical training. Our trainees work through different tasks of increasing complexity each week, and their work is then assessed by a partner or qualified attorney. Both communal and individual feedback is provided as part of a group discussion. These practical training sessions ensure that all our new trainees are exposed to the same core practical examples, providing them with the tools to develop their skills together.

After this, new trainees will be supported through a 13-week part-time course leading to the Certificate in Intellectual Property Law (currently provided by Queen Mary, University of London). The Chartered Trade Mark Attorney qualification is through the part-time course at Nottingham, also known as the Trade Mark Practice, Professional Certificate. We want our trainees to have access to the best support they can get, so to support them through the formal qualification process, we offer on-the-job training, personalised in-house tutorials and access to external training courses. They are also encouraged to take advantage of courses and lectures provided by the Chartered Institute of Patent/Trade Mark Attorneys.

Reflections from some of our 2025 graduate trainees:

	Olivia Endacott, Trainee Trade Mark Attorney (Trade Mark) “The first two weeks as a trainee at R&G are structured as a Boot Camp that is designed to give a foundational understanding of IP. We had talks and workshop-style sessions spanning patents, trade marks and designs which were delivered by attorneys across the firm, in both the London and Cambridge offices. This was a great way to get a sense of work done across R&G, regardless of our practice area and the teams we would later be joining. It also meant we quickly got to know many colleagues in a way that felt personal and was not overwhelming; I really enjoyed having time to get to know the other trainees in my cohort. By the time Boot Camp ended and we started working in our different teams, I already felt well-integrated and settled." “After Boot Camp I was involved in live cases straight away under the guidance of associates and partners. My training so far has combined input to client work and learning exercises – I am often doing both in tandem – which has allowed me to progress both in my knowledge of trade mark law and in how to interact with clients. I have gained insight into many different projects with colleagues across the trade mark team, and it has been exciting to delve into a breadth of industries and sectors, many of which I previously knew little about. There is always someone around to answer my questions, and I feel I have a strong support network within the team which has made entering a new profession far less daunting than it might have been. I look forward to what comes next!"

	Stephanie Stankard, Trainee Patent Attorney (Life Science) "The welcoming atmosphere and friendliness at R&G have made my first few months here thoroughly enjoyable. We began with the two-week boot camp, which was an intense yet incredibly valuable and entertaining training programme. Boot camp introduced us to the fundamentals of patents, trademarks and designs. The finale (and highlight!) of boot camp was a firm-wide presentation on a problem we had been given that same morning. After navigating the questions and challenges of the presentation, boot camp came to an end – but the learning certainly hasn’t! Since boot camp we have had weekly Monday training sessions where we spend the day working through a task that concludes with a tutorial session led by an experienced Attorney who provides detailed feedback." "These training sessions have been incredibly beneficial during my day-to-day work. Entering the profession definitely comes with a steep learning curve, but the structured training we receive has made the transition much smoother. I’ve been especially grateful for how approachable everyone has been whenever I’ve had questions. I have really enjoyed getting to grips with the basics of the profession, and of course bonding with the other trainees in my cohort. I am really looking forward to continuing my training with the firm and deepening my knowledge of all things patents."

	Aidan Mooney, Trainee Patent Attorney (Electrical, Electronics and Software) "My introduction into the world of IP has been supported by the challenging but supportive training programme provided by Reddie & Grose. The first two weeks are made up of a series of boot camp sessions, which are designed to build familiarity with the fundamental aspects of Patents, Trademarks, and Designs. It doesn’t take long until you’re face-to-face with realistic tasks and scenarios, which help expose you to the sort of skills which need to be developed." "The boot camp process was made especially enjoyable through the collaboration with other trainees in my cohort. To be able to share our different ideas and understanding of topics has become invaluable in tackling the learning curve presented by intellectual property. The transition into real-world work was an exciting process, quickly being in contact with new technologies and complex problems. You are encouraged to put forward ideas and solutions right from the start, but to also utilise the support and guidance of everyone at the firm. The training partners take plenty of time to go through each case in detail, making sure you get the most learning out of every experience."

Pacific Legal Training

We are proud to partner with Pacific Legal Training, a leading legal training provider in the UK. They have developed an online, examination-focused training course for the Patent Examination Board Final Diploma Papers.

In seeking qualified tutors to lead this program, our esteemed attorneys, Bruce Torrance and Alex Maxwell-Keys, were invited to conduct the tutorials for FD1 and FD4 due to their expertise and experience. Each tutorial involves reviewing and providing personalised feedback on up to 10 trainees’ answer scripts, followed by a single debrief session conducted via Teams.

After the FD sessions led by Bruce and Alex in 2024, we are pleased to share the following testimonials:

Alex Maxwell-Keys (FD4):

How was the feedback and comments provided on your answer script?

“I was very happy that Alex provided clear, thoughtful and thorough comments. He had obviously spent a lot of time going through my paper.”

Did the session meet your expectations?

“… The quality and detail of Alex’s comments was better than I expected.”

How would you rate the effectiveness of the tutor, Alex?

“Alex was great …. His powerpoint was well put together, everything he said was clear and I came away with some great suggestions for how to tackle this challenging paper.”