Assistant General Counsel-Intellectual Property

Responsibilities

• Serve as trusted legal partner to senior business and R&D leaders to develop and implement business-unit and program-level IP strategies aligned with product, innovation, portfolio and commercialization priorities.
• Drive legal strategy for new product development and innovation programs, ensuring speed-to-market while managing risk intelligently.
• Lead freedom-to-operate assessments for new product development programs, including identifying third-party patent risks, evaluating design alternatives and developing practical risk-mitigation strategies.
• Translate freedom-to-operate analyses and other IP risks into clear recommendations that support timely product-development, investment and commercialization decisions.
• Provide day-to-day intellectual property legal support to one or more business units within the Medical Essentials and Interventional segments.
• Manage patent preparation and prosecution activities, including invention review, filing decisions, claim strategy, office-action responses and coordination with inventors and outside counsel.
• Develop and manage patent portfolios that protect key products, technologies and competitive differentiators and are aligned with business priorities and portfolio value.
• Conduct regular portfolio reviews and make recommendations regarding filing, continuation, maintenance, abandonment, geographic coverage and other portfolio-management decisions.
• Monitor and assess competitor patent activity and relevant technology landscapes to identify risks, opportunities, whitespace and potential design or licensing considerations.
• Advise on invention identification, trade secrets, confidentiality, employee and third-party innovation issues and other intellectual property matters affecting the supported businesses.
• Provide IP support for acquisitions, divestitures, investments, collaborations, licenses and other transactions, including due diligence, risk assessment, agreement review and integration support.
• Provide support for IP disputes, enforcement matters, post-grant proceedings and litigation.
• Maintain clear communication with the IP Team and Law Group colleagues and supported business leaders regarding material IP risks, opportunities, and decisions.
• Contribute to IP team initiatives, policies, training, analytics, metrics and continuous-improvement efforts.

Education and Professional Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Active license and good standing to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Registration to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, chemistry, computer science or another relevant technical or scientific discipline.

Experience

• 8-12 years of progressive intellectual property experience in a law firm or corporate legal department.
• Substantial experience providing strategic patent and IP counseling to business and technical clients in the medical technology or related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing patent portfolios, conducting or directing freedom-to-operate analyses and supporting product development and commercialization.
• Experience independently managing patent preparation and prosecution, patent portfolios, freedom-to-operate matters and outside counsel.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of patent law and practice and the ability to apply that knowledge in a global business environment.
• Strong business acumen and ability to connect IP strategy to innovation, growth, competitive position, speed to market and enterprise value.
• Ability to identify and anticipate material IP risks and opportunities and develop practical strategies to address them.
• Excellent judgment and the ability to independently lead complex matters with appropriate communication and escalation.
• Ability to communicate sophisticated legal and technical issues in a concise, understandable and actionable manner.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and collaborate across R&D, Commercial, Finance, Legal and other functions in a matrixed organization.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and collaborate effectively with business, R&D and legal colleagues.
• Effectively manages priorities, outside counsel, matter plans, and budgets with a high degree of operational discipline.
• Integrity, discretion, accountability and a commitment to doing what is right.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in medical technology, medical devices, life sciences, pharmaceuticals or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience with IP due diligence, licensing, transactions, trade secrets or competitive patent analysis.
• Experience with complex patent litigation.
• Advanced degree in a relevant discipline, such as engineering or life sciences.
• Prior in-house experience supporting global businesses, R&D organizations or strategic product-development programs.
• Demonstrated success in managing teams and fostering employee growth and development.