Intellectual Property Department
Job Description
A Senior Solicitor is mainly deployed on more complex duties of intellectual property legal and policy work relating to formulation of legal and policy advice as well as legislative proposals, registration of trade marks, patents, designs and copyright licensing bodies, discharge of quasi-judicial functions, provision of civil legal advisory services to the Government, and promotion of intellectual property protection, management, commercialization and trading. Job Characteristics: A legal career in the Intellectual Property Department offers you a unique chance to demonstrate and develop your professional ability in tackling diversified and challenging intellectual property issues, working with various bureaux and departments of the Government, engaging stakeholders in society and participating in decision-making process for resolving legal and policy issues of public importance, which is hardly available in the private sector. We offer an enriching work environment, competitive salary and fringe benefits, and prospect for promotion to the directorate rank. We provide exposure to high-quality work and excellent training opportunities, including sending colleagues to attend different local, regional and international seminars, workshops and conferences on various intellectual property topics. The successful candidate would be posted to work in a highly experienced and knowledgeable legal team of intellectual property lawyers tasked with handling a specific stream of intellectual property issues and departmental matters, in collaboration with examiners of trademarks, patents and designs and other colleagues of the department. Subject to service exigencies, appropriate new postings to other legal teams might be arranged for career development.
Requirements
Candidates should be— (a)(i) solicitors with at least five years’ professional experience since admission in Hong Kong; or (ii) barristers with at least six years’ professional experience since attaining the right to full practice in Hong Kong; (b) have met the language proficiency requirements of ‘Level 2’ result in the Use of English (UE) paper and ‘Level 1’ result in the Use of Chinese (UC) paper in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) Note (1), or equivalent Notes (2), and (c) have obtained a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST)[Note (3)].? Note: (1) The results of the UE and UC papers in the CRE are classified as ‘Level 2’, ‘Level 1’ or ‘Fail’, with ‘Level 2’ being the highest. (2) For civil service appointment purposes, the equivalent of the language proficiency requirements are as follows— UE Paper in CRE (a) Equivalent of ‘Level 2’ result (i) Level 5 or above in English Language of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE); or (ii) Grade C or above in Use of English of the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE); or (iii) Grade C or above in English Language of the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level) (GCE A Level); or (iv) an overall band of 6.5 or above with no subtest score below band 6 obtained in the same sitting in the Academic Module of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the two-year validity period of the test, and such IELTS result must remain valid on any date during the application period (i.e. 7 August to 7 September2026). (b) Equivalent of ‘Level 1’ result (i) Level 4 in English Language of the HKDSEE; or (ii) Grade D in Use of English of the HKALE; or (iii) Grade D in English Language of the GCE A Level UC Paper in CRE (a) Equivalent of ‘Level 2’ result (i) Level 5 or above in Chinese Language of the HKDSEE; or (ii) Grade C or above in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature of the HKALE (b) Equivalent of ‘Level 1’ result (i) Level 4 in Chinese Language of the HKDSEE; or (ii) Grade D in Chinese Language and Culture or Chinese Language and Literature of the HKALE (3) All applicants for civil service jobs will be assessed on their knowledge of the Basic Law and the National Security Law. A pass result in the BLNST is an entry requirement for all civil service jobs. Only those candidates who have passed the BLNST will be considered for appointment. For candidates who have not taken the relevant BLNST or have not attained a pass result in the relevant BLNST at the time of application, they may still apply for the job and arrangements will be made for them to take the relevant BLNST during the recruitment process.
Terms of Appointment: A new appointee will normally be appointed on three years’ civil service agreement terms. A gratuity may be granted upon satisfactory completion of the contract with consistently high standard of performance and conduct. The amount of gratuity payable will be the sum which, when added to the Government contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund Scheme, equals 15% of the total basic substantive salary drawn during the contract period. Upon satisfactory completion of the three years’ civil service agreement terms, the officer may be considered for appointment on the prevailing permanent terms.
Remuneration
Master Pay Scale Point 45 ($130,255) per month to Master Pay Scale Point 49 ($150,070) per month.
(a) Applicants must apply online through the G.F. 340 Online Application System of the Civil Service Bureau’s website (http://www.csb.gov.hk) on or before 7 September 2026 at 6:00 p.m. (Hong Kong Time). (b) After submitting the application through the G.F. 340 Online Application System, candidates should send a full curriculum vitae (C.V.) to adminunit.pr@ipd.gov.hk on or before 14 September 2026 at 6:00 p.m. (Hong Kong Time). The online application number should be quoted in the e-mail and copies of the supporting documents. If applicants fail to provide the C.V. as requested, their applications will NOT be considered. The C.V. (with copies of academic certificates and transcripts and employment proofs) should include the following – (i) gradings of subjects taken in public examinations from secondary education onwards (with exact dates of scoring the result); (ii) results in LLB, CPE, PCLL and other relevant qualifications, listing the gradings of the subjects taken; (iii) results of the CRE language papers (or equivalent) and the BLNST; (iv) admission certificate with exact date and place of admission or call; (v) employment records with detailed description of duties; and (vi) a written submission indicating the qualities and relevant experience possessed by the candidate which would qualify him or her for appointment. (c) All relevant qualifications and professional experience should be obtained on or before the closing date for application. Qualifications and professional experience obtained after the closing date for application will NOT be considered. (d) Applications which are late, incomplete or submitted in person, by post, by fax or by e-mail will NOT be considered. If the required C.V. and supporting documents are not provided / sufficient, or are submitted after the stipulated deadline, such applications will NOT be considered. If full records of employment, academic and professional qualifications, professional experience and Chinese and English language proficiency level are not provided or if it is not clear from the applications that the entry requirements are met, the applications will NOT be considered. (e) Candidates who are selected for interview will normally receive an invitation in about ten to fourteen weeks from the closing date for application. This period may be longer in exceptional circumstances (e.g. when a large number of applications are received or when there are other complications). Candidates may be required to complete a written work during the interview. Those who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications are unsuccessful. As invitations will normally be issued by email, applicants should provide an accurate e-mail address. To avoid missing any invitation or notification, candidates are responsible for (a) ensuring that the settings of their email accounts do not block emails from the Enquiry Email Address; and (b) checking each incoming mailbox (including the spam folder) regularly.