Intellectual Property Counsel
Current• Interface with management, innovators, and businesspeople to develop and implement company’s global IP strategies for specialty chemical and industrial products; provide legal counsel on IP-related matters patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets); support achievement of long-term commercial goals.• Interact with innovators to address issues related to product R&D and harvest new innovations; analyze business and research opportunities and develop IP strategies from conception through lifecycle of IP protection; work with R&D and product management teams to align IP portfolios with business goals.• Draft and negotiate IP-focused agreements, such as confidentiality agreements, licensing agreements, joint development agreements; collaborate with commercial attorneys to support negotiations of IP- and confidentiality-related matters in commercial agreements; provide counsel on navigating existing agreements.• Provide opinion work on freedom to operate, patentability, and third party IP risks; provide patent analyses for business development, competitor vulnerabilities, and minimizing litigation risks.• Prepare and prosecute patents/trademarks, globally; manage outside counsels’ handling of patent/trademark portfolios, manage IP oppositions, provide technical analyses, legal opinions, and legal counsel on current/future products; assess, communicate, and manage IP risks. • Perform IP due diligence with business units regarding acquisition of specialty chemical businesses and proposed joint ventures. • Review presentations, publications, marketing materials, and other materials for clearance.• Conduct regular training/counseling for business units and research teams on legal and commercial issues; develop and implement strategic approaches to complex legal issues; provide IP support in multi-functional teams; support other projects as needed.
