just visited this thread. things have changed so much since the thread was last active. nowadays you can find a handful of patent attorneys who have become partners at law firms. needless to say, these are probably the very top cream of the crop. I had worked with some patent attorneys or agents in my R&D work and can say that the quality can vary by so much! there are some that can be so bad and it's no surprise given their years of working in the industry, they still won't move beyond associate or senior associate level. I think you can make very big bucks if you do manage to shine among the registered people. from what I gathered during my time as a trainee, a newly registered agent can expect 6 to 8k salary, entry level and depending on firm and capability. thereafter, they say the sky is the limit. I hearsay one partner can make 200-350k per annum if really good, plus profit sharing.

coming back to trainees, I tried my hands at being a trainee. passed the GCIP but kept getting stuck at the qualifying examinations. true, the papers are quite entry level as compared to actual daily work but still, the pass rates are low. it does take a lot of mentoring, training and fair bit of luck to pass these papers! anyway, I have since dropped out and stopped trying.

It's a slog of a job plus studying like some posters have mentioned and the choice of a firm to work at can be important. I was at an Australian firm and the culture was a shock to me, coming from research. don't ever think that you will be given your own sweet time to digest things and advise clients etc. it is a numbers thing and you have to meet billing targets every single month. you are expected to be a business unit and keep generating invoices for the firm. if you are not able to do that, it can be bye bye for you, and appraisals are based on that. the structure can be like a pyramid if you look at it.

and when you think it's fair game to just keep billing, imagine the odds further stacked against you when massive discounts are given to clients you handle, and certain billing items are not under you. plus, there are so-called seniors who will also take a cut of your billing, using the pyramid. it all made for a very bad and sour taste. for would-be trainees, it may be better to ask around and join a firm that can properly train and nurture you. personally, i would prefer joining one that wasn't so harsh on billing but that's the reality i guess. there are many places that treat you like an invoice generating machine only and it actually serves them better if you never get registered if you think about it, like a poster mentioned. it's like a glass ceiling 'cos they won't give you registered pay. so, don't keep thinking of salary first until you at least get yourself registered. even then, you need to find ways to add value until you are justified to get further promotions and maybe can buy in.

just my 5 cents from my few years stuck as a trainee, now happier doing other things outside of research, technical stuff and getting screamed at almost daily. earn an average salary but so much happier.