Senior IP Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

Salary range: $200K - $250K

Location: Whippany, NJ

Hybrid work policy: 2 days in-office in Whippany, NJ (flexible; Tuesdays are the busiest in-office day)

About this role

We are looking for a Senior IP Attorney with 5+ years of experience who has a portable book of business and wants to grow their practice on a fully supported boutique platform. This is a growth hire — Lucas & Mercanti LLP is seeking a self-directed patent and/or trademark practitioner to expand the firm while leveraging its decades-long reputation, international network, and full infrastructure.

What will you be doing?

• Managing and growing your own client relationships and portable book of business on the L&M platform

• Handling patent and/or trademark preparation and prosecution (U.S. and foreign-origin work)

• Leveraging firm infrastructure — docketing, paralegals, IP technology, malpractice coverage — to serve clients efficiently

• Collaborating with multilingual partners on international matters (Europe, Japan, South America)

• Potentially picking up overflow work from other partners when technology expertise aligns

Key Requirements

• Portable book of business that the candidate is comfortable living off of initially (compensation is collections-based: 40% for work performed + 10% origination credit)

• 5+ years of IP prosecution experience (patent and/or trademark)

• Technical degree aligned to practice area for patent practitioners; USPTO registration required for patent work; bar admission for trademark

• U.S. work authorization (green card or citizenship) — no sponsorship available

• Stability in career history — no frequent job-hopping; willingness to come into the Whippany, NJ office (hybrid)

Salary

$200K - $250K (This is a collections-based compensation model, not a traditional salary. Structure: 40% of collections for work performed + 10% origination credit for client relationships + discretionary profit sharing. A ~$500K book of business (self-performed) yields ~$250K+ in earnings. A draw against earnings is provided biweekly. Benefits include 401(k) and medical. Earnings scale directly with your book size and work volume. Attorney with a book of business of $400k to $500k would have a salary of $200k to $250k.)