In hindsight, becoming a patent attorney was "inevitable", the Spruson & Ferguson principal says
While pursuing his double major in aerospace engineering and law, Jason Manakis figured he’d carve out a career path in the aerospace industry. And in a way, he did when he became a patent attorney concentrating on aerospace and defence.
In the first part of this February interview, the Spruson & Ferguson Australia principal, who works with the firm’s engineering and ICT team, tells Australasian Lawyer how becoming a patent attorney was “perhaps inevitable” in hindsight, and why drafting a patent application is “part-art and part-science”.
I didn’t necessarily set out to have a career in law when I left high school and commenced my university studies. I simply followed my interests and embarked on a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and a Bachelor of Laws double degree program and somewhat expected that I would pursue a career in the aerospace industry after completing my studies. However, like many patent attorneys I suspect, an opportunity presented itself after I graduated and I had the requisite skills and qualifications to at least investigate a potential career as a patent attorney.
Looking back now, becoming a patent attorney was perhaps inevitable. I am deeply interested in science and technology, and I have a passion for language and communication. By becoming a patent attorney, I was able to meld these interests into a career.
There are many aspects of the job that I enjoy. I love the creative process of drafting a patent application – deliberating over and selecting the right terms in a patent claim to maximize the scope of protection for a client while also steering clear of the prior art. Drafting is part-art and part-science. While there are certain rules and formalities that we learn and follow, there’s also opportunity for creativeness and ingenuity in language and expression.
I also very much enjoy the sense of accomplishment after securing patent rights for a client, particularly where I was involved at the initial stage of crafting the patent specification.
It’s hard to choose just one memorable event. However, three distinct memories surface for me. The first was completing my last exam, Interpretation and Validity of Patent Specifications, at Melbourne University for my Master of Intellectual Property Law course. Completing this subject was the culmination of many years of hard work and study while working full time and also provided the gateway for me to register in 2016 as a Trans-Tasman Patent Attorney, which happens to be my second distinct career highlight. My third distinct career highlight is my promotion to principal at Spruson & Ferguson in 2024.
My proudest accomplishment in the last year is my aforementioned promotion to principal at Spruson & Ferguson. Spruson & Ferguson is one of the largest IP firms in the Asia-Pacific region, and the largest filer of patent applications in Australia. Being promoted to principal at Spruson & Ferguson is a career highlight that I’ll always be grateful for.
