Description:

Your Job:
As Corporate Counsel, Litigation & IP, you will be responsible for providing well-informed, timely, effective, hands-on, and practical legal guidance regarding trademarks, patents, litigation, and pre-litigation disputes. You will interact directly with teams to provide thoughtful and strategic advice on a wide variety of legal issues. You will be familiar with business operations and objectives, and identify, analyze, and develop strategies to resolve complex legal issues. As Corporate Counsel you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to mitigate legal and business risk. You will manage an IP Paralegal to ensure seamless execution of intellectual property and marketing programs and initiatives.

Responsibilities:

Manage the company's worldwide litigation and IP portfolio, directing outside counsel in accordance with business objectives
Oversee management of trademarks, copyrights, patents, and domain names for A Sports Equipment Company and its subsidiaries, partnering with product and design teams to file or research relevant patents
Protect the company's brands through trademark portfolio management, anti-counterfeiting measures, domain name enforcement and loss/fraud prevention, overseeing and monitoring third-party trademark applications; if trademark conflicts arise, develop strategies to preserve rights, mitigate expenses, avoid unnecessary litigation, and streamline interaction with outside counsel
Define and implement the company's litigation strategy for various disputes, managing and overseeing performance of outside counsel
Budget and track spend for all litigation and trademark matters, negotiating billing disputes as necessary
Work cross functionally to support litigation efforts (gather evidence, interview witnesses) and advise business leaders on novel legal and business risks, including litigation trends, consumer protection, or pending disputes with consumers and/or vendors
Act as the company liaison to outside counsel teams to ensure the company's interests are at the forefront of all litigation work and to mitigate the day-to-day burden on business teams
Manage litigation proceedings: attend mediations and hearings; participate in witness preparation; attend depositions; and own the discovery process for all litigated matters including litigation holds, custodian interviews, and document review/production
Draft, negotiate, finalize, and track settlement agreements; educate internal clients on prevention and ongoing legal obligations
Provide legal advice and counsel to front-line customer service, events, and retail teams regarding consumer protection, trademarks, counterfeits, and pre-litigation disputes
Manage prelitigation disputes, including conducting internal investigations and gathering relevant information, evidence, and documentation
Respond to third-party subpoenas and government inquiries
Act as liaison between outside patent counsel and in-house teams to protect A Sports Equipment Company' interests in manufacturing, designing, and developing products and balance business opportunities and legal risk
Identify opportunities to streamline processes for supporting internal clients to ensure we deliver a great customer experience
Provide counsel to product teams regarding potential new business models and business opportunities, as well as providing counsel to marketing teams regarding naming product, marketing collateral, marketing claims,
Manage (including goal setting, performance review, hiring decisions, team culture) and support the career development of IP Paralegal to ensure job satisfaction, retention and to identify and develop bench strength
Keep apprised of the latest IP and litigation trends and techniques via seminars, continuing legal education and related activities

Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school required
Admitted to the Washington State bar or another state bar association
7+ years of experience as a licensed attorney. Prior in-house and trademark experience a plus
Proven ability to evaluate and weigh legal and business issues effectively and realistically
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, demonstrating effective listening through concise, clear verbal and written communication
Ability to explain complex legal situations clearly and concisely to business leaders and other non-lawyers and motivate them to take appropriate actions
Ability to present, and communicate with confidence to key stakeholders and executives
Excellent interpersonal skills that inspire and build trust resulting in effective working relationships across the company and with our external partners
Ability to achieve optimum legal and business outcomes in a timely manner by focusing on key objectives, seeking efficient legal solutions, prioritizing multiple matters and issues, and avoiding unnecessary disputes