Role:<\/strong> Senior Trade Mark Paralegal
Firm \/ organisation:<\/strong> Springbird IP<\/a>
Location:<\/strong> UK
Areas of expertise:<\/strong> Trade marks, brand protection, patents and wider IP rights<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An unexpected route into IP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kay originally thought her future lay in science. After studying biotechnology at university in Edinburgh, she realised that an academic career was not for her. A talk by a patent attorney introduced her to intellectual property and immediately caught her attention. Combining her scientific background with a different type of professional career seemed an interesting direction, and she went on to complete a postgraduate course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her first practical experience of IP came in a rather unconventional way. Pregnant after finishing her studies and with several months before her due date, Kay was determined to use the time productively. She worked her way through a directory of patent firms, contacting them one by one to ask whether they would give her some work experience. Eventually, Jensen & Son said yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her first assignment involved researching filing requirements around the world for an international trade mark portfolio. It was a daunting introduction to the profession, but also the opportunity that gave Kay her start. She worked until two weeks before her daughter was born and later returned to the firm on a consultancy basis, allowing her to combine work with childcare. She stayed for almost four years and remains grateful to Derek Moore for giving her that first opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat first job was crucial to get me in,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building a career around changing priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As Kay\u2019s family grew, so did her understanding of what she needed from her career. Over the following years, she gained experience in several different types of IP practice, from smaller firms to larger organisations. Each gave her valuable experience and helped her understand the working environment that suited her circumstances at that particular stage of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Family has always been a priority. When her children needed additional support and the commute started taking its toll on her mental health, flexibility became increasingly important. Kay knew she needed to find a way of developing her career while also being able to respond to the changing needs of her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That process eventually brought her to Springbird IP, then part of a larger solicitors\u2019 firm. At the time, Kay worked alongside Laura West, now CEO of Springbird, and another paralegal as the department developed. She subsequently saw it grow and become a separate firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being involved from those early stages created a sense of connection that has proved important to her. \u201cThere\u2019s a sense of ownership,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a sense of identity and pride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five years later, Springbird is the longest Kay has worked anywhere, and she has since had her third child. Home working, flexible hours and what she describes as \u201cvery human policies\u201d give her the flexibility she needs at this stage of family life. It is an environment that fits both the career she has built and the life she has outside it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finding her place in trade marks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kay\u2019s career has given her experience across both patents and trade marks. Now focused entirely on trade marks at Springbird, she enjoys the pace and variety of the work, particularly the more unusual cases that require investigation and problem-solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI enjoy quirks,\u201d she says. \u201cI enjoy getting down to the nitty gritty and figuring out, when there\u2019s a problem, a solution to that problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also enjoys building relationships with clients and becoming genuinely interested in their businesses and brands. There is even a running joke at Springbird that Kay becomes a loyal customer of every new client they take on. For Kay, that connection is part of what makes the work so enjoyable: she genuinely likes the brands she works with and enjoys seeing what they are developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her experience in patents has also given Kay a broader perspective on trade mark work. Having worked across different rights, Kay has come to appreciate how patents, trade marks, designs and copyright can complement one another as part of a wider commercial picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding that broader context is important in her work, and it is something she continues to develop. Kay readily admits that she can become absorbed in the detail of a particular task, so she values colleagues who encourage her to step back and consider the bigger picture. For Kay, understanding how individual IP rights fit within a client\u2019s wider commercial objectives helps give greater context to the work she does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The evolving IP paralegal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For Kay, one of the most interesting aspects of the paralegal role is just how varied it can be. Responsibilities differ between firms, teams and individuals, making it difficult to separate changes across the profession from the natural development that comes with experience. What she has noticed, however, is greater recognition of the expertise that paralegals can bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think we are becoming more visible,\u201d she says. \u201cWe are trusted more, we are given more responsibilities, and I quite like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That visibility can also extend to client relationships. Kay now has opportunities to interact directly with clients and, through platforms such as LinkedIn, to engage with them as an individual as well as through her work. She enjoys that more personal side of the role and the relationships that can develop as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most importantly, Kay believes there is a growing understanding that being a paralegal can be a career in its own right. Becoming an attorney is one option, but it is not necessarily the end goal for everyone. Kay herself once expected to follow that route before realising that her ambitions had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For those considering IP, she also sees the role as offering different ways to enter and progress within the profession. People do not necessarily need to arrive with every skill already in place. Knowledge can be developed through experience, while the variety of the role can build skills that are useful across different areas of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to have the full tool set straight from the start,\u201d Kay says. \u201cYou can work your way up.\u201d For Kay, that ability to learn and develop over time is one of the strengths of a paralegal career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trusting people to develop<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For Kay, one of the most important ways firms can support paralegals is by recognising what they are capable of and giving them room to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTrust them, talk to them, understand them,\u201d she says. \u201cYou hired them for a reason. They are competent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That can mean giving people ownership of their work, opportunities to tackle more complex tasks and the chance to learn from experienced colleagues. Just as importantly, Kay believes there should be honest conversations about what individuals want from their careers rather than assumptions about where their role should lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her own development has benefited from colleagues who are willing to explain things. If an interesting legal question arises, Kay wants to understand the reasoning behind it, even when that knowledge is not strictly necessary for the task she is doing. She values working with people who welcome that curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has helped her develop greater confidence too. Despite her experience, Kay admits that imposter syndrome can still surface in her professional life. Her response is to keep asking questions and accept that occasionally being wrong is simply part of learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes. Don\u2019t be afraid to be wrong. Fact-check what you can and just keep talking. It\u2019ll get easier and better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside the office<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For all the importance Kay places on her career, she is equally clear that family comes first. She and her partner have three children, and spending time with them is her favourite way to switch off. Family trips often take them back to Poland, while skiing and snowboarding have become activities they enjoy together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sport features heavily in family life. Kay goes weightlifting with her daughter, while her two older children play rugby. Inevitably, she has become involved there too, handling administration for her son\u2019s team and social media for her daughter\u2019s. \u201cOnce an admin, always an admin,\u201d she jokes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kay also has a habit of collecting hobbies. When she wants time to herself, she heads to the gym and is currently hoping to move into competitive powerlifting. For something quieter, she knits while listening to audiobooks, and when she needs an escape, there is always cycling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It all reflects Kay\u2019s enthusiasm for trying new things, whether at work or away from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kay\u2019s career has developed very differently from the one she imagined when she first heard a patent attorney speak during her biotechnology degree. Experience across patents and trade marks, different working environments and changing family circumstances have helped her understand where her strengths lie and what she wants from her professional life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her story also reflects the breadth of opportunity within the IP paralegal profession. For some, it can be a route towards qualification; for others, it can become a fulfilling long-term career in its own right. Kay\u2019s own path shows that careers can evolve as circumstances and ambitions change, and that continuing to ask questions, learn from others and remain open to new directions can be just as important as knowing exactly where you want to end up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LinkedIn:<\/strong> Kay Szawlis<\/a> Meet the IP Professional is a PatWorld interview series exploring the people and perspectives shaping the intellectual property profession. Discover more interviews in the <\/em>Meet the IP Professional hub<\/em><\/a>, and find out more about PatWorld, a global IP search provider working with IP professionals worldwide to support informed patent, design and trade mark decisions, on our <\/em>About Us page<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kay Szawlis is a Senior Trade Mark Paralegal at Springbird IP, with experience spanning patents, trade marks and different IP working environments. Her career offers an insight into the evolving role of the paralegal, the value of finding a workplace that fits your circumstances, and why a successful career in IP does not have to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[432,251,558,560,559,270],"class_list":["post-4274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-meet-the-ip-professional","tag-career-development","tag-ip-strategy","tag-kay-szawlis","tag-para-legal","tag-springbird-ip","tag-trade-marks"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/patworld.com\/gb\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/Kay-Szawlis-Senior-paralegal-Springbird-IP.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA career path of your own<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Contact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Website:<\/strong> Springbird IP<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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