IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN · On-site
- Job type
- Full-time
- Level
- Senior
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Listed
- 31 days ago
Skills & highlights for this role
- USPTO registration
- patent prosecution
- patent drafting
- prior art searching
- USPTO Office Actions
Also useful
- freedom-to-operate analysis
- inter partes review
- patent due diligence
About the role
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Experience: 3-5 Years
Practice Area: Intellectual Property - Patent Prosecution (Mechanical Engineering/Electrical Engineering)
Barnes & Thornburg’s nationally recognized intellectual property practice delivers the strength of a powerhouse IP boutique housed within a full-service AmLaw 100 firm. With 125+ dedicated IP attorneys and agents, we have one of the largest and most technically skilled IP teams in the country, earning consistent recognition in Chambers USA, IAM Patent 1000, World Trademark Review 1000, and IP Stars. Our practitioners advise clients from startups to Fortune 500 companies, who call us "the absolute best" and their "go-to for all things intellectual property."
Position Overview
We are seeking a Patent Agent with 3-5 years of experience to join our highly regarded Intellectual Property Department in Minneapolis. The ideal candidate will have a mechanical engineering background with electrical engineering drafting experience and familiarity with wireless device hardware including smartphones, tablets, and wearables. This is an excellent opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies within a collaborative, high-performing team.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications
- Draft patent applications, including specifications, claims, and drawings descriptions, for inventions relating to consumer electronics hardware and electromechanical systems
- Conduct prior art searches and support patentability, freedom-to-operate, and invalidity analyses, including clearance opinions for product launches
- Respond to USPTO Office Actions and manage prosecution strategy in coordination with partners and clients
- Conduct inventor interviews and distill complex technical subject matter into clear, precise patent disclosure
- Support due diligence efforts related to patent portfolios in transactions and licensing matters
- Assist with post-grant proceedings, including inter partes review and reexamination, as needed
- Manage docket deadlines and maintain accurate file records
Requirements
- Registration in good standing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering
- 3-5 years of patent prosecution experience, preferably at a large law firm or boutique IP firm
- Demonstrated experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications in both mechanical and electrical engineering subject matter
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage a substantial docket and meet competing deadlines
- Detail-oriented with a commitment to producing high-quality work product
Preferred Qualifications
- Substantive familiarity with wireless device hardware
- Experience with patent clearance and freedom-to-operate projects
- Experience managing patent portfolios
- Experience supporting patent opinion letter preparation
- Familiarity with non-infringement and invalidity analyses
- Experience assisting with patent due diligence for corporate transactions and M&A matters
- Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a closely related field is a plus
Additional information
We will not consider resumes submitted by external agencies or recruiters for this position. Recruiters and agencies will not be compensated for assisting Barnes & Thornburg LLP in recruiting for this position, regardless of whether such party has a recruiting contract with us.
Equal opportunity and legal notices
Barnes & Thornburg is committed to equal employment opportunity in both principle and as a matter of policy.
We will recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate and provide benefits to all applicants and employees without regard to ancestry, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, age, religion, religious creed, mental and/or physical disability, medical condition, military and/or veteran’s status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state and local laws.
This policy applies to all recruiting, hiring, promotions, upgrades, layoffs, compensation, benefits, terminations and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment. The firm complies fully with all federal, state and local equal employment opportunity laws.
From Barnes & Thornburg's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 10, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.
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Where is the IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent job at Barnes & Thornburg located?
This IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent position at Barnes & Thornburg is located in Minneapolis, MN (On-site). Always check Barnes & Thornburg's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.
What qualifications are required for IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent at Barnes & Thornburg?
For the IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent role, Barnes & Thornburg highlights 3+ years of relevant experience; a bachelor's degree; experience with patent prosecution, patent drafting, prior art searching, USPTO Office Actions. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.
How do I apply for the IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent position at Barnes & Thornburg?
This listing links directly to Barnes & Thornburg's Ashby application page. You can apply directly on Barnes & Thornburg's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Ashby application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.