Associate General Counsel, Intellectual Property

What To Expect
Tesla is looking for a Associate General Counsel, Intellectual Property, based in our CA, TX or DC offices to support the growth of our ever expanding and evolving innovations on a worldwide basis. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, Commercial, you will work with existing IP legal teammates to handle all aspects of IP for a complex multi-national portfolio, including licensing and litigation strategy.
Your scope will include: support for internal clients, including as to freedom to operate initiatives to enable our talented engineering and business teams to pursue their compelling and creative ideas in our pursuit of transitioning the world to sustainable energy; development and communication of IP competitive intelligence and technology IP landscape gap analysis in support of client research and development planning activities and product development strategies; and development and management of IP portfolios (patents, copyrights, and trade secrets) around business products and technologies in support of the the business strategy, including invention harvesting, and management of outside counsel for both US and foreign patent prosecution.
This is a great opportunity for an experienced, pro-active and entrepreneurial lawyer to work at a fast growing and dynamic company.
What You’ll Do

• Prepare and maintain applicable IP contract forms and/or clauses
• Support business negotiations relative to IP matters
• Create playbooks and training materials to enable fellow legal team members as well as members of the engineering and business teams to address common IP concerns
• Review and assess questions or concerns related to open source software
• Liaise with colleagues in APAC and EMEA to ensure consistency of strategy and risk allocation across the global business
• Provide advice on a wide variety of intellectual property topics for the engineering and business teams, including assessment of particular patent or trademark assets and the implication on desired buinsess outcomes
• Research and assess patent and licensing demand requests in collaboration with the engineering and business teams including structuring complex licensing transactions

What You’ll Bring

• A current licence to practice in one or more US jurisdictions
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to quickly earn the confidence of your colleagues and effectively communicate with people at all levels of the organization
• High standards, impeccable integrity and ethics, unquestionable good judgment, well-honed analytical skills, superior oral and written communications skills, and a keen sense of humour
• Experience structuring and leading negotiation of intellectual property transactions in various technology areas ranging from physical goods to software licenses as well as exposure to prosecuting and enforcing various IP rights
• Excellent academic credentials, preferably with a J.D. from a top-ranked law school
• A minimum of 16 years of practice experience at a well-regarded law firm, with in-house experience strongly preferred
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively and to juggle competing priorities in a fast-paced, challenging environment
• A quick and flexible learner, intellectually curious, open-minded, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity and risk, and excited by dynamic change
• A team player with the ability to proactively identify problems, drive projects, make complex cost/benefit assessments, and identify pragmatic/creative legal and business solutions

Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:

Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical plan options with $0 payroll deduction

Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits

Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution

Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Aetna medical plan with HSA

Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

LGBTQ+ care concierge services

401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits

Company paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays

Back-up childcare and parenting support resources

Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance

Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs

Tesla Babies program

Commuter benefits

Employee discounts and perks program

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