Vice President, Legal & Intellectual Property Counsel

Work Location

Corporate Headquarters (South San Francisco, CA) Onsite – Hybrid

Position Summary

The Vice President, Legal & Intellectual Property Counsel (VP, Legal & IP) will lead Annexon’s strategic IP efforts worldwide in support of its extensive product pipeline and preclinical research. The VP, Legal & IP reports to the EVP & CBO and will be a strategic legal business partner to the CXOs and business leaders.  In this role, the VP, Legal & IP will help shape and protect the company's intellectual property assets and will develop and implement a comprehensive, worldwide intellectual property strategy, including patent, trademark, and trade secret protection, and navigate intellectual property risks, while ensuring alignment with Annexon’s strategic goals and business objectives. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries with prior experience in all stages of product discovery and development, including product launch, with a strong preference in rare disease, autoimmune, neurology, and/or ophthalmology. Like all Annexon leaders, the VP, Legal & IP will have a deep-rooted commitment to serving patients and a passion for transforming the lives of people with serious diseases and their families.

Key Responsibilities

•    Serve as a strategic legal partner to C-suite executives, leadership team as well as other internal stakeholders.  
•    Collaborate, communicate and prepare regular and timely intellectual property briefings/updates to relevant stakeholders.  Stakeholder collaboration includes partnering with members of the Legal, Finance, Corporate Development, and other internal and external stakeholders as needed or as appropriate.
•    Oversee and manage the strategy and execution of all matters related to intellectual property, including patent litigation, infringement claims.  Provide guidance and risk assessment and represent Annexon’s interests in these legal matters.
•    Develop, manage, and counsel on all patent aspects of platform and product lifecycle portfolios, including strategy, prosecution, patent office proceedings, freedom to operate, enforcement, due diligence and related transactions.
•    Collaborate with and provide expert counsel to scientific, development, commercial and legal colleagues on a variety of intellectual property issues relating to the discovery, development and commercialization of the company’s platform and product candidates.
•    Oversee and enforce Annexon’s global patent portfolio. Work closely with Annexon’s technical teams including research, clinical development as well as other teams as needed to assess and protect Annexon’s IP. Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely and effective patent filings.
•    Collaborate with and counsel internal clients on patentability, validity/freedom-to-operate studies, infringement by third parties, commercial launch patent strategies, competitive patent portfolio analysis, patent disputes, trademark protection, and trade secret protection.
•    Provide guidance to other members of Legal Department on intellectual property issues.  
•    Retain, supervise and effectively direct outside counsel.  Manage legal expenses consistent with Annexon’s legal operations budget. 

Requirements:

•    J.D. degree or beyond from an accredited law school and admission in good standing to a bar in at least one state. Admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
•    Advanced degree in the biological or chemical science fields is highly preferred, but not required.
•    A minimum of 15 years of experience practicing intellectual property law, including at least 5 years in-house experience, with relevant experience in pharmaceutical patenting, including experience with preparing late-stage clinical assets for commercial launch and commercial products.
•    Extensive knowledge of patent law, patent prosecution, and IP litigation, with a successful track record of managing complex IP matters.
•    Strong analytical problem solving, decision-making, and conflict resolution skills, with an ability to strategically deal with complexity and ambiguity. Provide practical and constructive legal counsel in a time-sensitive, dynamic, fast-paced and complex business environment. 
•    Excellent communication, negotiation, and analytical skills, with the ability to provide strategic legal advice and influence key stakeholders, including synthesizing and presenting complex issues.
•    Executive presence.  Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with the ability to inspire, lead, manage, collaborate and motivate others in a multi-functional matrix environment.
•    Ability to successfully build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
•    Proven ability to work effectively and balance legal and business considerations, prioritize tasks, and deliver results under pressure in a fast-moving dynamic small to mid-sized company environment. A strategic leader and resourceful and creative problem solver who will 'roll up their sleeves'.

What Annexon offers

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging are important to us. We believe that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are essential for the strength of our business and the vitality of the communities we serve. We continuously work to build our pipeline of underrepresented candidates for our workforce, enhance, recruit and develop a best-in-class, diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce; ensure that Black, LatinX and other underrepresented candidates have long-term sustainable opportunities to work with Annexon; and hold our vendors to the same standards under which we operate. To learn more about Annexon’s diversity commitment, culture and values, please visit https://annexonbio.com/careers/
• A stimulating and rewarding workplace includes flexible work schedules, remote opportunities and the ability to achieve a work-life balance.
• We are located in Brisbane, CA, with shuttle service from BART, CalTrain and the Ferry.
• Annexon offers a competitive base salary and equity participation, employee stock purchase plan, as well as a comprehensive health benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k), flexible spending plans, as well as other benefits.

Company Summary

Annexon Biosciences (Nasdaq: ANNX) is a biopharmaceutical company advancing a late-stage clinical platform of novel therapies for people living with devastating classical complement-mediated neuroinflammatory diseases of the body, brain, and eye. Annexon’s novel scientific approach targets upstream C1q to block the classical complement inflammatory cascade before it starts, and its therapeutic candidates are designed to provide meaningful benefits across multiple autoimmune, neurodegenerative and ophthalmic diseases. With proof-of concept data in Guillain-Barré syndrome, Huntington’s disease and geographic atrophy, Annexon is rigorously advancing its mid-to late-stage clinical trials to bring new potential treatments to patients as quickly as possible. To learn more visit annexonbio.com

EEO Employer – Annexon highly values Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Annexon Biosciences is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. We are proud to promote a work environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work.

Staffing Agencies

Annexon Biosciences does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm that doesn’t have a signed agreement with Annexon Biosciences. Please do not send agency CVs/resumes through Annexon’s website or Annexon Employees.  Inquiries must be sent to  talentacquisition@annexonbio.com with the Subject Heading:  Staffing Agency Request.