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About the Role

Lead Schwab's enterprise patents, trade secrets, and innovation protection legal function as the senior legal advisor for patent strategy, trade secret governance, and intellectual property matters related to technology, AI, data, and proprietary capabilities. Establish and oversee legal strategy, governance, and risk management for the firm's innovation protection program, advising senior leaders on IP considerations and maturing legal frameworks to support innovation.

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain legal strategy, governance frameworks, policies, standards, and playbooks for patents, trade secrets, defensive publication, and other innovation protection approaches.
Advise stakeholders on IP risks and opportunities associated with technology development, AI initiatives, data platforms, vendor engagements, and strategic innovation programs.
Develop practical decision frameworks for patent vs. trade secret vs. defensive publication determinations, portfolio prioritization, ownership, licensing, and protection of Schwab-developed inventions and proprietary technical solutions.
Partner with the Patent Office on patent portfolio strategy, portfolio health, invention intake, operational execution, outside counsel management, and enterprise reporting.
Provide senior-level legal guidance on IP terms in technology, AI, data, and innovation-intensive agreements.
Support strategies for suspected trade secret misappropriation, unauthorized disclosure, patent disputes, post-grant proceedings, litigation, and other IP-related controversies.
Embed patent and trade secret considerations into technology development lifecycles, AI experimentation, vendor selection, and strategic transactions.
Educate senior leaders, technologists, business teams, and Legal partners on patent strategy, trade secret protection, and innovation-related IP risks.
Monitor legal, regulatory, industry, and competitive developments affecting patents, trade secrets, AI, data, and emerging technology to inform Schwab's IP strategy.
Drive operational excellence through scalable processes, knowledge management, technology-enabled solutions, metrics, training, and enhancements to legal tools, forms, policies, and procedures.

Requirements

JD from an accredited U.S. law school.
Admission to and good standing with the bar of at least one U.S. state.
12+ years of sophisticated patent, trade secret, and innovation-focused intellectual property legal experience at a leading law firm, in-house legal department, or a combination thereof.
Deep expertise advising on patent strategy, trade secret protection, IP ownership, licensing, and technology-driven IP matters, including AI, data, software, and emerging technology issues.
Experience developing or advising on patent, trade secrets, or intellectual property strategies related to blockchain, digital assets, tokenization, distributed ledger technologies, cryptocurrency, and other emerging technologies is a plus.
Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, technology leaders, business partners, and Legal leadership on strategic initiatives and high-risk IP matters.
Strong business judgment and the ability to balance legal, regulatory, operational, technology, financial, and reputational considerations in a pragmatic and solutions-oriented manner.
Experience developing and implementing legal operating models, governance frameworks, playbooks, standards, and repeatable processes for innovation-focused legal support.
Demonstrated experience partnering with technology and innovation organizations, including on invention harvesting, patentability assessments, trade secret controls, and contractual IP protections.
Experience managing outside counsel and legal spend while achieving favorable business outcomes.
Strong relationship-management skills as an individual contribution with a proven ability to build credibility and influence across legal, technology, finance, risk, security, vendor management, and operational functions.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, superior drafting and negotiation abilities, and strong attention to detail.
Ability to manage numerous priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment while maintaining sound judgment and professionalism.
A strategic, collaborative, and business-focused approach, combined with impeccable integrity and ethical standards.
Technical undergraduate degree or equivalent technology experience preferred.
Prior in-house experience supporting patent prosecution, portfolio strategy, licensing, or enterprise IP program design preferred.

Skills

Patent strategy
Trade secret protection
Intellectual property legal experience
AI
Data
Software
Emerging technology
Blockchain
Digital assets
Tokenization
Distributed ledger technologies
Cryptocurrency
Legal operating models
Governance frameworks
Playbooks
Standards
Repeatable processes
Invention harvesting
Patentability assessments
Trade secret controls
Contractual IP protections
Outside counsel management
Relationship management
Verbal communication
Written communication
Drafting
Negotiation

Experience Level

12+ years

Education Level

JD from an accredited U.S. law school
Admission to and good standing with the bar of at least one U.S. state
Technical undergraduate degree or equivalent technology experience preferred

About the Company

Charles Schwab Corporation is a company that provides financial services.