Assistant General Counsel

Rice University seeks an attorney with a strong substantive background in intellectual property law, including patents, trademark and copyright. The ideal candidate will also have the experience and versatility to solve problems in other areas of practice, including contracts, general business law, nonprofit law, and corporate law. As a team, we value excellent attention to detail, versatility, discretion, and creativity. Our collective aim is to represent Rice with the highest standards of civility, courtesy, and legal acumen.

Proposed Hiring Range:

The initial base salary for this position is between $175,000-$200,000; the position is also eligible for discretionary bonuses and future promotion opportunities to the ranks of Associate General Counsel and Senior Associate General Counsel. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Minimum Requirements

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• At least 4 years’ experience as a practicing attorney; actively and substantially engaged in the practice of law as the applicant’s principal occupation for at least 2 of the 4 years immediately preceding the application.
• A strong substantive background in, and principal focus on, intellectual property (including patents, trademark and copyright).
  • Experience with intellectual property transactions.
    • Related experience in sponsored research and licensing agreements, technology transfer, and/or research-related matters, including research regulatory compliance.
  • Experience negotiating complicated agreements, particularly intellectual property agreements.
    • Either (a) an active license to practice law in Texas, or (b) an active license to practice law in another US jurisdiction and the ability to become licensed in Texas within one year of hire.
    • Ability to manage time effectively and adapt to a high-volume workload, varying client priorities, and deadlines.
    • Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with diverse parties.
    • Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with various stakeholders.
    • Willingness to learn new areas of the law.
    • Proficiency with typical business technology and software, including video conferencing applications.
    • Collegiality, a willingness to support colleagues, and a commitment to the diverse, multicultural mission of higher education and private university research institutions.
    • Commitment to expeditious, high-quality service to our clients

Essential Functions

• Reporting to the Vice President and General Counsel, provide legal advice and representation to the Executive Vice President of Research, the Office of Technology Transfer, the Office of Sponsored Projects, the Research Integrity Office, the Research Security Office, the Vice President for Innovation and others in the Rice community.
• Provide legal advice and representation on intellectual property matters, especially patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, and/or manage outside counsel in those areas.
• Represent Rice in patent and technology transfer-related disputes, and/or manage outside counsel in those disputes and in litigation.
• Provide legal advice regarding the creation and protection of and other issues relating to intellectual property arising from the university’s research efforts, acquisitions, and/or licensing activities.
• As needed, conduct or review freedom to operate studies, analyses of third-party patent positions and competitive patent intelligence.
• Review and understand Rice’s patent portfolio; assess possible litigation risks.
• Participate in trademark procurement activities and management of Rice’s trademark portfolio.
• Manage the efforts of outside counsel, as needed.
• Serve on university task forces and committees, and work visibly and closely with representatives from diverse university offices, the Houston community, and other important communities with which Rice engages.
• Participate in regular meetings, both within the Office of General Counsel and with other stakeholders at Rice.
• Work independently on routine legal matters, and discern issues of institutional importance that require additional communication with legal team members, the Vice President and General Counsel, and other university officials.
• Devise and provide practical, risk-tolerant solutions for problems, balancing legal considerations with Rice’s strategic priorities.
• Promote Rice’s Culture of Care.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, physical sciences, or engineering, or in biomedical or pharmaceutical disciplines.
• Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
  • Experience providing training to sophisticated audiences on complex legal matters.

• 8 or more years’ experience as a practicing attorney, with a principal focus on intellectual property (including patents, trademark and copyright), including preparation/prosecution of patent applications and drafting/negotiating intellectual property agreements/licenses.
• Experience working as a counsel to universities, particularly in matters involving intellectual property and transactions

• Experience drafting, editing, and negotiating SRAs, MTAs, NDAs, grants, licenses, and MOUs

• Experience drafting and prosecuting patents before the USPTO, registering trademarks with the USPTO, and/or registering copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office.

• Experience with intellectual property litigation.

• with FAR, DFAR, DEAR and flow-downs therefrom.

• Familiarity with OFAC, ITSR, EAR, ITAR, export controls and foreign malign influence.

• Familiarity with biosafety, human subjects, lab animal welfare, conflicts of interest in research (including conflict of interest regarding start-ups), research ethics, and research misconduct

  Working Conditions:
  

• We offer a flexible, hybrid work schedule, including opportunities to work in person and remotely.
• This position requires extended working hours, including nights and weekends, as our clients’ needs require. Out-of-town travel is occasional but infrequent (rarely over 5%).

Application Period

Priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply by October 18, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the job posting is removed.

How To Apply

Please visit https://jobs.rice.edu. In the application portal, please upload your resume and a letter of interest.