Patent Counsel

TD; Toronto; On-site; CAD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

TD is seeking a Counsel to support TD's growing patent portfolio from its Toronto IP team. You will provide legal advice across patent lifecycle, collaborating with internal partners and external counsel to protect TD's technology assets.

You will navigate evolving IP law while delivering practical guidance on patent strategy, prosecution, and potential litigation in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• University-level technical degree in engineering, computer science, or physics.
• Law degree from an accredited school is beneficial.
• Must be registered as a patent agent before Canadian/IP offices.

Responsibilities

• Support patentable opportunities from TD's technology footprint.
• Assess inventions for patentability and participate in committee decisions.
• Prepare and file patent applications in US and Canada with outside counsel.
• Manage patent prosecution cost-effectively with TD's partners.
• Support initiatives for portfolio management and value realization.
• Assist in developing TD's patent strategy.
• Support patent litigation and respond to infringement letters.
• Advise on IP aspects of commercial agreements.
• Stay current with evolving patent laws and key developments.
• Help manage TD's patent budget.
• Collaborate within IP team and with software used for portfolio management.
• Contribute to colleague development within Legal Department.
• Support high priority special projects and the Legal Department.

Skills

Patent prosecution experience

Legal analysis and writing

Independent and collaborative work

Strong communication

Education

Technical bachelor's degree

Law degree (beneficial)

Patent agent registration (CA/US)

Tools

Patent portfolio management software

Job description

Work Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hours: 37.5

Line of Business: Legal

Pay Details: $130,000 - $165,000 CAD

The pay details posted reflect a temporary market premium specific to this role that is reassessed annually.

TD is committed to providing fair and equitable compensation opportunities to all colleagues. Growth opportunities and skill development are defining features of the colleague experience at TD. Our compensation policies and practices have been designed to allow colleagues to progress through the salary range over time as they progress in their role. The base pay actually offered may vary based upon the candidate's skills and experience, job-related knowledge, geographic location, and other specific business and organizational needs.

As a candidate, you are encouraged to ask compensation related questions and have an open dialogue with your recruiter who can provide you more specific details for this role.

Job Description:

Department Overview

You will join a dynamic and collegial team of legal professionals in the Legal Department and be involved in a wide range of activities working to advance strategic priorities while ensuring proper risk management. Collaborating with talented colleagues and partners in a variety of legal specializations, members of the legal team have the chance to develop their skills every day. We will help you realize your full potential and achieve your career goals. From mentorship and training programs to leadership development, you will receive everything you need to succeed.

Job Overview

In this Counsel role you will provide legal advice and primarily support TD's growing patent portfolio, currently comprising over 1000 granted patents and 1500 pending applications. In this role, you will be part of a growing IP team within the Distribution, Innovation/IP and Customer Experience (DICE) Legal team located in Toronto.

The role offers complex, engaging and meaningful work spanning various phases of the patent lifecycle, and the opportunity to work with and learn from seasoned legal practitioners and leaders from across the enterprise. The successful candidate needs to provide effective support in light of rapidly evolving technology and innovation, changes in intellectual property law, and respond to the dynamic environment in the business.

Job Accountabilities

• Support the process of identifying and harvesting patentable opportunities originating from anywhere within TD's vast technological footprint.
• Assess new inventions for patentability and participate in committee meetings to decide which opportunities are worth progressing to the patent application stage.
• Work with outside Counsel and TD's business partners to prepare and file patent applications in both the United States and Canada.
• Work with outside Counsel and TD's business partners to manage ongoing patent prosecution in a prudent and cost-effective manner.
• Support a variety of patent related initiatives, ranging from initiatives for more effective management and maintenance of TD's growing patent portfolio to supporting business driven initiatives relating to the value of the portfolio.
• Assist with development of TD's patent strategy.
• Support and assist with patent litigation and assessing and responding to patent infringement demand letters.
• Advise business partners and the Legal Department on intellectual property aspects of corporate commercial agreements.
• Be familiar and stay current with, as well as draft briefings and advise on, evolving laws and regulations governing patents and key developments in technology.
• Help manage TD's significant patent budget.
• Collaborate within the IP team to ensure effective delivery of advice and portfolio management related work, including collaborating with team members to manage and administer software used for IP portfolio management.
• Contribute to colleague development within the Legal Department by discussing relevant legal issues or regulatory changes that arise in the context of the team's work or other areas you have experience with.
• Contribute to high priority special projects and Legal Department.

Job Requirements

• A university degree in a technical field, such as engineering, computer science, or physics.
• Candidates must be registered as a patent agent before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or both.
• A law degree from an accredited law school and qualification to practice law in Canada is highly beneficial.
• 3+ years of experience practicing as a lawyer or a patent agent at a major law firm or in-house focusing on patent prosecution.
• Versatile self-starter with demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently as well as part of a team.
• Superior analytical ability and written/verbal communication skills, both in legal and business settings
• Ability to simplify, solve problems, multitask and work effectively against multiple deadlines with speed, agility, and attention to detail.
• Independent thinker with excellent judgment who also has strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with multiple partners.
• Comfortable working in ambiguity and a constantly changing, time-sensitive environment.
• Willingness to learn and a natural curiosity for exploring a wide range of topics.
• Ability to work effectively with external counsel.

Who We Are:

TD is one of the world's leading global financial institutions and is the fifth largest bank in North America by branches/stores. Every day, we strive to make every interaction, product, and experience remarkably human and refreshingly simple for over 27 million households and businesses in Canada, the United States and around the world. More than 95,000 TD colleagues bring their skills, talent, and creativity to foster deeper relationships, ensure disciplined execution, and build a simpler, faster banking experience. TD is deeply committed to being a leader in client experience, that is why we believe that all colleagues, no matter where they work, are client facing. Together, we are reimagining what banking can be for our clients, colleagues and communities.

Our Total Rewards Package

Our Total Rewards package reflects the investments we make in our colleagues to help them and their families achieve their financial, physical, and mental well-being goals. Total Rewards at TD includes a base salary, variable compensation, and several other key plans such as health and well-being benefits, savings and retirement programs, paid time off, banking benefits and discounts, career development, and reward and recognition programs. Learn more

Additional Information:

We're delighted that you're considering building a career with TD. Through regular development conversations, training programs, and a competitive benefits plan, we're committed to providing the support our colleagues need to thrive both at work and at home.

Please be advised that this job opportunity is subject to provincial regulation for employment purposes. It is imperative to acknowledge that each province or territory within the jurisdiction of Canada may have its own set of regulations, requirements.

Colleague Development

If you're interested in a specific career path or are looking to build certain skills, we want to help you succeed. You'll have regular career, development, and performance conversations with your manager, as well as access to an online learning platform and a variety of mentoring programs to help you unlock future opportunities.

If you're passionate about helping clients and building deep, lasting relationships, TD offers diverse career paths where you can grow your expertise and make a meaningful impact.

We're committed to your success and foster a respectful workplace where diverse perspectives are valued, everyone has fair opportunities to grow, and you can unlock your full potential to achieve your career goals. Here at TD, we hire and develop the best.

Training & Onboarding

We will provide training and onboarding sessions to ensure that you've got everything you need to succeed in your new role.

Interview Process

We'll reach out to candidates of interest to schedule an interview. We do our best to communicate outcomes to all applicants by email or phone call.

Accommodation

Your accessibility is important to us. Please let us know if you'd like accommodations (including accessible meeting rooms, captioning for virtual interviews, etc.) to help us remove barriers so that you can participate throughout the interview process.

Language Requirement (Quebec only):

Sans Objet

We look forward to hearing from you!