Legal Assistant

Overview

This role supports a legal research and analysis project focused on Chinese Intellectual Property and Patent Law.

• Engagement: 35 hours per week
• Jurisdiction: China
• Primary Language: Mandarin
• Domain: Intellectual Property Law / Patent Law

Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed legal research using Chinese laws, regulations, case law, and CNIPA materials.
• Analyze complex legal and patent-related questions within the Chinese jurisdiction.
• Produce accurate, well-structured legal research outputs, summaries, and written analyses.
• Review and draft patent-related legal documents and claims where required.
• Verify legal citations, authorities, statutory provisions, and regulatory references.
• Apply sound legal reasoning to identify relevant legal principles and their practical implications.
• Ensure research and analysis are specific to the Chinese legal and regulatory framework.
• Follow project-specific research methodologies, quality standards, and documentation requirements.
• Deliver accurate, consistent, and high-quality work within agreed timelines.

Requirements

• 3+ years of relevant professional experience in Chinese Intellectual Property, Patent Law, legal research, patent prosecution, or a closely related field.
• Licensed Attorney/Legal Practitioner, JD/LL.M. graduate, Senior Legal Researcher, or experienced Paralegal.
• Strong understanding of Chinese patent legislation and CNIPA procedures and standards.
• Demonstrated experience in patent prosecution, patent research, claims drafting, or patent analysis.
• Excellent legal reasoning and statutory interpretation skills.
• Strong ability to conduct independent legal research using authoritative Chinese legal sources.
• Excellent legal writing, documentation, and citation-verification skills.
• Mandarin proficiency is required; professional-level English is an advantage for reviewing project instructions and reference materials.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify inconsistencies or inaccuracies in legal documents.
• Ability to work independently and commit to 35 hours per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with patent law firms, corporate legal teams, IP consultancies, or legal research organisations.
• Hands-on experience dealing with CNIPA patent examination or prosecution.
• Experience with patent claims drafting and amendment.
• Familiarity with Chinese patent examination guidelines and relevant judicial interpretations.
• Experience conducting structured legal research for AI, legal-tech, or data-driven projects.