Trade Mark Secretary

Spoor & Fisher is looking for a Trade Mark Secretary within the TM: Merit Team. The successful candidate will be based in the Cape Town office, reporting to the Associate heading up the practice. The ideal candidate should have a keen eye for detail and should be able to attend to general trade mark secretarial duties with a focus on litigation.

Apply here.

Minimum Requirements:

• Matric (essential)
• Paralegal qualification or relevant tertiary qualification (advantageous)
• Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in a trade mark practice
• Strong understanding of trade mark prosecution and litigation procedures
• Experience with High Court or Tribunal filings (advantageous)
• Experience with international filings and coordination with foreign associates (advantageous)
• Demonstrated reliability in deadline-driven legal environments where errors may have significant legal or financial consequences.
• Calm and solution-oriented under pressure
• Strong sense of ownership, accountability and professional maturity when interacting with clients, foreign associates and senior professionals
• Proactively identifying procedural or administrative inefficiencies and contributing to process improvements within the Trade Marks Department.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong prioritisation and deadline management skills
• Ability to manage a high-volume practice with minimal supervision
• Commercial awareness and professionalism in client interactions
• Ability to take instruction from multiple professionals and prioritise accordingly
• Ability to anticipate filing and reporting requirements
• Advanced proficiency in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), including formatting of legal documents
• A high degree of confidentiality and professional discretion

Duties and Responsibilities

Litigation Support

• Assisting with preparation and formatting of litigation documents, including:
  • Letters of demand
  • Undertakings
  • Settlement agreements
  • Company and close corporation name objections
  • Affidavits
• Liaising with courts, sheriffs, and external service providers
• Opening, administering, and maintaining trade mark litigation files, managing diaries, and monitoring statutory deadlines
• Drafting and preparing correspondence to agents, clients, the Registrar of Trade Marks, and internal departments
• Ensuring strict compliance with court and statutory deadlines

Trade Mark Prosecution

• Preparing draft official action reports and compliance letters to the Registrar of Trade Marks
• Reporting to clients on the status of applications
• Instructing trade mark searches and preparing filing instructions for local and foreign applications
• Opening, administering, and maintaining trade mark files, managing diaries, and monitoring statutory deadlines
• Docketing and tracking deadlines for trade mark applications
• Drafting and preparing correspondence to agents, clients, the Registrar of Trade Marks, and internal departments

Commercial Work and Portfolio Management

• Preparing powers of attorney
• Compiling trade mark schedules and portfolio reports
• Preparing quotes
• Conducting online investigations
• Assisting with the preparation of trade mark assignment agreements where required
• Managing change of name, address, and amendment instructions and procedures

Systems, Financial, and Administrative Support

• Accurate time recording and WIP management
• Processing invoices and credit notes, and following up on outstanding fees where required
• Updating internal accounting and general standing instructions
• Answering and directing telephone calls professionally
• Arranging meetings and managing calendars
• Providing general administrative support to the trade mark team

Apply here.