Director And Assistant General Counsel, Cancer Immunology, Intellectual Property

Genentech’s Intellectual Property team is seeking a leader whose passion lies in creating & leveraging game-changing IP strategies that enable Roche & Genentech to do now what patients need next. As a senior business strategist for Genentech, this individual will be pushing the boundaries of what is possible in a highly competitive industry while leading, empowering and developing great attorneys and staff across a dynamic & diverse global organization. This position reports directly to a Senior Director and Associate General Counsel, IP Practice Group Lead in the Genentech Legal Department and will be located in our South San Francisco campus.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Driving strategic IP procurement and management of global intellectual property rights including drafting & prosecuting patent portfolios, licensing transactions, due diligence assessments, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity analyses, and risk evaluation and mitigation strategies.

• Leading on behalf of the Genentech IP Legal team in intellectual property-related transactions, adverse proceedings, and litigation activities.

• Partnering effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the global organization and across all phases of research, drug development & commercialization to provide business enabling strategy, counseling and options.

• Managing and growing a small team of attorneys/agents directly and in a matrixed environment, including performance and talent management, coaching and mentoring.

• Successfully leading and modeling change in substantive practice & operational model to create value & effectively manage risk.

• Sustainably building enduring, productive external relationships with outside counsel and third party collaborators & partners.

• Engaged & creative leadership as a member of a practice area group and of the extended Genentech IP Leadership Team.

The successful candidate has a growth mindset, enjoys work in a fast-paced, diverse & global organization, and is energized by the complexity and challenges of bringing great medicines to patients. This candidate excels at growing people, fostering teamwork, and thinking outside the box.

Specific Responsibilities may include:

• Leading and directly managing a small team of patent attorneys & agents in the design & delivery of global IP portfolios, assessing, communicating & mitigating risk, identifying and exploiting new opportunities & approaches leveraging both a knowledge of industry trends and of the competitive landscape across the GNE portfolio.

• Providing input, guidance and hands on work on complex legal issues, prosecution strategies, complicated transactions and the like. Some direct management of patent portfolio and counseling for small molecule (NCE) candidates and products.

• Assuring appropriate attorney/agent staffing, effort & cross-team/function communication at all times and on all matters within the IP team.

• Builds effective relationships, communicating & collaborating enthusiastically across time zones and cultures.

• Maintaining and sharing deep expertise and knowledge on legal case law, rules or regulations before the US Patent & Trademark Office as well as other relevant jurisdictional IP offices.

• Developing & deploying strategies, processes, operating standards and/or practices to ensure highest quality practices & execution for all aspects of IP portfolios in a high performing, agile team setting.

• Leading and/or participating in Group, Department, and cross-functional projects and initiatives that impact the people and/or practices of the IP team.

• Exhibiting a “can do” attitude in anticipating and proactively resolving issues & conflicts, streamlining processes, and reducing redundancies and/or inefficiencies in operating models & systems.

• Acting as a role model in, for example, communication, poise under pressure, solution-oriented mindset, collaboration across local & global teams, preserving in the face of obstacles, tackling new challenges with curiosity, effectively utilizing available resources, clear communicating at all levels of the organization with a willingness to listen & learn from others.

• Assuring that GNE remains a great & fun place to practice game-changing IP law.

Job Requirements:

• Demonstrated experience and strong track record of success in:

  • Building & leveraging global IP portfolios;

  • Developing & implementing global IP strategies or initiatives, both substantive & operational;

  • Experience in IP transactions and due diligences a plus;

  • Experience in adverse proceedings including but not limited to US litigation, USPTO adverse proceedings, EPO adverse proceedings and the like is a plus;

• 9+ years of experience in life science intellectual property portfolio creation, strategy, and counseling.

• At least 5 years of IP legal experience in a pharmaceutical corporation.

• An advanced degree in the biological or other area relevant to pharmaceutical IP practice. A Ph.D. is a plus.

• A United States law degree (JD) with a current “good standing” admission to at least one US state bar.

• Admission to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Genentech is an equal opportunity employer, and we embrace the increasingly diverse world around us. Genentech prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status and veteran status.

Genentech requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of their start date. This requirement is a condition of employment at Genentech, and it applies regardless of whether the position is located at a Genentech campus or is fully remote. If you are unable to receive the vaccine due to a disability or serious medical condition, or because it is prohibited as a result of your sincerely held religious beliefs, you will have an opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation.

Job Sub Category

Legal & Healthcare Compliance

Schedule

Full time

Job Type

Regular

Posted Date

May 25th 2022

Job ID

202205-119724