Lead Counsel I, IP
About the Company
Fifty years ago, Sam Walton started a single mom-and-pop shop and transformed it into the world's biggest retailer. Since those founding days, one thing has remained consistent: a commitment to helping customers save money so they can live better. Today, Walmart is reinventing the shopping experience and its associates are at the heart of it. You'll play a crucial role in shaping the future of retail, improving millions of lives around the world. This is that place where your passions meet purpose. Join their family and create a career you're proud of.
About the Job
The Lead Counsel I, Intellectual Property Litigation role is critical to mitigate corporate risk by managing an IP portfolio of litigation and pre-litigation matters, and reviewing company policies and practices related to IP litigation and appeals. You will manage and strategize with outside counsel while developing insurance and indemnification strategies for intellectual property matters to mitigate legal and business risk.
Responsibilities
Manage the company’s intellectual property litigation in the United States, including but not limited to a docket of patent, trade secret, third party marketplace, copyright and trademark, privacy, and tech-related litigation cases; manage and strategize with in-house and outside counsel; strategize with other commercial litigation teams on complex issues; develop, strategize and manage potential affirmative intellectual property litigation
Provide legal advice to the company by providing clients with an informed understanding of the client’s legal rights, obligations and risks to allow the client to make informed decisions; develop strategies to respond to the client’s legal issues; identify the need for and direct training; review legislative trends and significant legal decisions; represent company, along with outside counsel, in intellectual property litigation matters
Manage risk to the company by engaging, directing and supervising outside counsel and consultants; collaborate with clients to develop mitigation strategies; direct, oversee and participate in negotiations; participate in the review of company policies, practices and procedures relating to intellectual property litigation and appeals; collaborate with officer-level clients on significant risks; seek authority and obtain informed consent to proceed with intellectual property and tech-related litigation matters; develop strategy for insurance and indemnification for intellectual property matters
Oversee budgets and participate in budgeting process for intellectual property and tech-related litigation matters; identify risks and opportunities associated with meeting budgets based on current trends and financial performance; share plan and budget updates with senior management; review and update budgets for intellectual property litigation spend on outside counsel and other vendors; regularly review performance to plan, identifying gaps, updating forecasts and recommending actions to correct performance
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
Law degree from an accredited law school and over 10 years of intellectual property litigation experience, including trial experience
Experience with patent, trade secrets, trademark and copyright litigation and related issues
Willingness to be based either in or near Bentonville, Arkansas, or in or near one of Walmart’s three other home office hubs
Preferred Qualifications:
License in good-standing to practice law in at least one state
Patent-based litigation experience and experience with USPTO
