Sr. Patent Counsel – Program Strategy & Litigation

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States, +2 more locations.

📋 Description

• Formulate innovative patent protection and enforcement strategies that align with business objectives.

• Develop and manage global patent portfolios, overseeing preparation, filing, and prosecution in the United States, Europe, and other critical jurisdictions.

• Enhance litigation readiness and lead or assist in patent disputes with internal teams and outside legal counsel.

• Direct global IP dispute strategy and implementation, encompassing patent litigation, biosimilar disputes, patent-office challenges and oppositions, as well as related trade secret or contractual disputes.

• Serve as a strategic IP partner to global project teams working on essential drug candidates.

• Simplify complex scientific and patent-related issues into actionable recommendations that support product development, commercialization, and portfolio enhancement.

• Identify and safeguard inventions, evaluate inventorship, manage public disclosures, and bolster trade secret protection.

• Conduct analyses on infringement, validity, freedom-to-operate, and competitive landscapes.

• Lead patent-related due diligence and provide support for licensing, collaborations, partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions.

• Review, draft, and negotiate intellectual property provisions and agreements.

• Manage external legal counsel and business partners, align priorities and resources, and conduct portfolio reviews and long-term planning.

• Assess infringement, validity, enforceability, evidence, and business exposure; develop options for enforcement, defense, and settlement.

• Direct external counsel in global IP litigations and contested matters, overseeing case strategies, budgets, discovery, expert consultations, witnesses, and key submissions.

• Lead pre-dispute planning and biosimilar readiness efforts, including evidence preservation, legal holds, and witness preparation.

• Develop patent strategies for assigned programs, including portfolio development, prosecution, management of inventions and disclosures, and freedom-to-operate evaluations.

• Collaborate with program attorneys to enhance defensibility and enforcement strategies across the patent portfolio.

• Oversee approved agent-assisted workflows for monitoring disputes, creating evidence chronologies, document triage, reference verification, and reporting on matters.

• Define agent responsibilities, authoritative inputs, review checkpoints, and escalation protocols while ensuring attorney accountability.

• Collaborate with IP operations and technology teams to transform pilots into standard practices, share insights, and mentor colleagues.

⛳️ Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

• Active membership in good standing with at least one US state bar.

• Registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

• A minimum of eight years of experience in life sciences patent law.

• Significant hands-on experience in US BPCIA or ANDA patent litigation or related contested matters.

• Proven ability to lead complex disputes or major projects.

• Experience with large molecules.

• Capability to connect litigation risks and enforcement goals with portfolio development, prosecution, and business strategy.

• A genuine interest and curiosity in advancing an evolving agentic IP team.

• Openness to learning about emerging AI technologies, questioning established processes, experimenting responsibly, and assisting colleagues in adopting improved work methods.

• Strong legal acumen and business judgment.

• Ability to articulate complex issues clearly, provide practical recommendations, and collaborate effectively across scientific, commercial, and legal teams.

• Advanced life sciences degree, preferably a thesis-based master's degree in biology or a related field (preferred).

• Strong preference for experience in biosimilar litigation.

• Valuable experience in patent-office challenges, cross-border disputes, trial or appeal processes, and licensing or settlement negotiations.

• Experience in enhancing legal workflows or utilizing AI, automation, or knowledge tools is favorable.

• Prior experience in building agent capabilities and coding skills are not mandatory.

🏝️ Benefits

• Short-term and long-term incentive programs, subject to plan terms and applicable policies.

• Comprehensive benefits package.

• Retirement savings plans.

• Health benefits.

• Equal consideration without discrimination.

• Reasonable accommodations provided during application, interview, and candidate selection processes.