Senior Intellectual Property Attorney

Overview

The Senior Intellectual Property Attorney is responsible for providing strategic legal advice in all aspects of IP practices to protect and empower the company’s product leadership and to help continuously improve and grow the company’s IP proficiency, in a manner consistent with the company’s business philosophy and strategy, and in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Cook is a privately owned, global company that has been, for over 60 years, inventing, manufacturing, and delivering a unique portfolio of medical devices to the healthcare systems of the world. Our Global Legal team is a diverse and dynamic team of attorneys who support the organization’s business functions located worldwide. Each member of the team has unique responsibilities and expertise, but every member shares the common objective of supporting Cook’s relentless pursuit of inventive solutions to help our customers, patients, and communities thrive.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Intellectual Property Attorney to join our Global Legal team full-time. This position may be remote (with occasional travel as needed) or hybrid (working on-site approximately 1-2 days a week in Bloomington, IN). At Cook, it is our company culture to be open to different ideas and perspectives and be appreciative of each person’s contributions. We want to create opportunities for talented individuals who will contribute positively to the company. We are looking for the best candidate for the Senior Attorney, Intellectual Property role and invite those to apply who can bring their unique perspective to our team. 

Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Manager and Senior Intellectual Property Attorney, the Senior Attorney’s responsibilities include the following:

• Act as strategic business partner for assigned business specialties, to provide legal counsel and support on IP activities and considerations throughout the product lifecycle, including supporting the opportunity assessment, product development, product commercialization, and post-market management of different technology offerings.
• Advise, coordinate, and collaborate on global patent portfolio development and management to support and protect the company’s product differentiation and leadership goals and enhance the competitive position of the company’s global patent portfolio.
• Proactively and timely advise on and conduct product clearance studies to support product development activities.
• Provide legal counsel and support on business and corporate development activities, including advising on and conducting IP due diligence, and assisting and advising on other IP-related issues as they arise.
• Advise on and participate in adversarial matters including IP disputes, litigation, patent office proceedings (e.g., USPTO post-grant proceedings and EPO oppositions), and investigation.
• Develop, support, and participate in the development of processes, policies and procedures to continuously improve IP operations and practices within and for the Global Legal function and for the organization.
• Ability to think laterally, approaching IP issues from different angles to advise on alternative legal solutions based on expertise and understanding of the business and technology.
• Identify and mitigate risks by researching and providing well-reasoned, business-contextualized, and convincing advice on complex legal and commercial IP issues, developing resolutions to identified risks, exercising considerable judgment in proposing alternative solutions, and communicating analysis effectively to the appropriate stakeholders and decisionmakers.
• Lead outside counsel work by developing and managing reasonable budgets; coordinating internal efforts to meet requirements; and delivering results within established budgets; ensuring that outside counsel work, strategy, methodology, and costs meet the company’s expectations and bring value to the company.
• ​Stay updated on relevant law, regulations, and evolving developments; providing strategic, accurate, high quality and practical legal advice to management and other attorneys and recommending policy and/or process changes as needed. 
• Develop and participate in education and training, ensuring appropriate employees and management are knowledgeable of pertinent standards, policies, and laws and raising IP awareness across the business through creative outreach opportunities. 
• ​Partner collaboratively and cross-functionally with various team effectively and professionally through various levels of the global organization and ensure leadership of the law department and company is properly and timely informed about legal issues and risks facing the business.  
• Engage with key external collaborators, including counterparts at other companies in the industry, trade associations, and outside counsel networks, to understand the current legal and business environment, identify trends and ensure legal policy interests are aligned and advanced.
• ​Ensure that Cooks Code of Conduct is considered in all business matters carried out on Cook Medical’s behalf. 

Qualifications

Education and/or Work Experience

• 7-10+ years of legal experience working as a patent attorney, at a law firm and/or corporate setting. Must have substantial experience with patent preparation and prosecution and with freedom-to-operate or product clearance, preferably for medical device products. Must have experience navigating U.S. and foreign patent practices.
• Experience working within medical device, biotechnology, pharma, healthcare, or other highly regulated industry
• J.D. degree with an active license and in good standing to practice law in the United States
• Admitted to practice and in good standing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Experience in IP analytics, AI tools, matter management tools, and/or database searching
• Excellent understanding of regulatory environment and legal frameworks within the medical device industry, in addition to all applicable ethics and compliance standards.  
• An articulate, motivated & proactive individual with a track record of developing strong working relationships within an energetic environment. 
• Ability to stay intellectually curious and eager and open to continuously improve in a dynamic environment and to learn from different points of view.
• ​Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with others, whether internal or external to the organization, and throughout various levels of the global organization. 
• ​Manage conflict in a way that recognizes and manages differing opinions and ideas and refocuses them in a positive and constructive manner. 
• ​Ability to work across teams and manage multiple priorities to accomplish multiple tasks in a timely and cost-efficient manner. 
• ​Foster and maintain a workplace culture respectful and supportive of individual differences. 
• ​Remain calm and receptive in fast paced situations. 
• ​Maintain the highest level of confidentiality and integrity. 
• ​Maintain company quality and quantity standards and foster a culture of continuous improvement. 
• ​Have excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to work in collaborative and independent work situations and environments with minimal supervision. 
• ​Strictly adhere to safety requirements. 
• ​Maintain regular and punctual attendance. 
• ​Comply with the rules of professional conduct for attorneys, as required by the geography of licensure, accreditation, or certification. 
• ​Ability to learn and actively role model the Cook Values, and a desire to make an impact as part of a company that is Relentlessly Inventive and Deeply Connected. 
• Strong verbal & written communication.