Intellectual property specialist Secerna LLP has welcomed a new trainee patent attorney to its team in York, bolstering the firm’s biotech expertise.

Niamh Crabtree joins the established intellectual property law firm to support an ever-growing worldwide client base of multi-national corporations, FTSE and NYSE listed companies, universities, spin-out companies, small businesses and innovators.

Having graduated from the University of Durham with a Mbiol in Biosciences, Niamh has attained considerable knowledge in antibodies and biologics, immunology and nucleic acid technologies. In her role, Niamh will work across a broad range of sectors including biotechnology and life sciences.

After hearing about a career in intellectual property at a university careers fair Niamh says that part of the appeal of joining Secerna lay in the firm’s size and the opportunities this presented, “Working at Secerna is giving me the chance to be very hands-on with big cases right from day one. This has meant that I have gained a lot more practical experience than many others in my position. This, and the fact that I get to work extremely closely with the partners and learn from them, made joining an easy decision.”

She adds, “I knew that lab work wasn’t where my passion lay. However, I love to learn and stay up to date with new technologies, which a career in intellectual property allows me to do. In my short time with the firm, I have already worked on a wide range of cases, including those in my field of expertise as well as in areas such as engineering. I love to learn about new technologies, so this has been tremendously fun and interesting.”

Secerna Partner, Charlotte Watkins says, “We are very happy to welcome Niamh to our team. Her knowledge and hard work are already proving to be a considerable asset to Secerna and we are very excited to see how her career develops over the coming years.

“As well as celebrating our tenth anniversary this year, the business has seen considerable growth. We are keen to continue attracting top talent at a senior level as well as appealing to the brightest minds looking to enter the intellectual property field.”