Intellectual Property Attorney

About Arc Institute

The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution that conducts curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley.

While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include:

• Funding: Arc will fully fund Core Investigator’s (PI’s) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants.
• Technology: Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators. 
• Support: Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
• Culture: We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration.

With $650M in expected funding, the vision in the first 2-3 years is to grow to a team of roughly 150 team members, with plans for further significant growth over the decade ahead. 

About the position

Our team is growing quickly and we’re looking for a strong Intellectual Property Attorney with extensive knowledge of our research areas who can assist with maximizing the protection of our intellectual property.  A successful IP attorney  will be highly collaborative and proactive, with a positive approach and a passion for changing the way science is done. 

In this position you will:

• Collaborate closely with Institute scientists to identify potentially patentable inventions and proactively guide patent disclosures.
• Own the strategic decision on which disclosures to file across the Institute, taking into account the existing patent landscape as well as the potential commercial impact of the IP. 
• Collaborate with IP counsel at our partner Universities - Stanford, UC Berkeley and UCSF - to successfully navigate joint IP filing and licensing
• Develop and maintain a broad understanding of the institute’s business, including the research being conducted, products being developed or licensed/acquired as well as the existing IP portfolio.
• Own the selection and management of external IP counsel
• Prepare and draft new patent applications and prosecution of pending patent applications in the United States and ex-US jurisdictions in collaboration with external IP counsel
• Perform comprehensive searches of patent databases for invalidity, patentability, landscape, licensing, litigation risks, and freedom to operate.
• Contract drafting and negotiation and assistance with intellectual property matters relating to third party relationships.
• Education of scientific staff regarding fundamentals of intellectual property law and institute policies and procedures relating to intellectual property.
• Perform extensive critical reviews of patents, patent applications, patent amendments, patent opinions and other patent-related documents.
• Attend and participate in legal, R&D and business meetings.
• Provide regular presentations of intellectual property matters to senior management as well as present to potential third party collaborators and development partners as needed.
• Proactively stay abreast of international patent laws especially those in major pharmaceutical markets.
• Proactively acquire knowledge of the scientific literature and third-party patent landscape relevant to the Institute’s programs.

Requirements:

• JD Degree and admission to at least one state bar.
• Registered to practice before the USPTO.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in biology or chemistry.
• 5 or more years of patent law experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology field, or an equivalent combination of patent and pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry experience.
• Strong scientific background, specifically in molecular biology/ biotechnology.
• Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Service-oriented focus with ability to work as part of cross-functional teams and drive results.
• Highest integrity, excellent judgment, and the ability to proactively recognize and effectively communicate legal issues to patent, legal and general management.