Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property

Vanguard Group; Malvern (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard Group seeks an accomplished Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property, to oversee a broad IP portfolio, including patent strategy and trade secret protection, across global business initiatives.

You will advise business and technology teams, manage relations with outside counsel, and drive risk management for collaborations and strategic partnerships, with a hybrid work setup.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of related legal experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of professional intellectual property experience.
• Undergraduate degree and Law degree (JD).
• Admission to practice before the USPTO.
• Experience with patent and trade secret counseling and portfolio management.
• Experience drafting and negotiating IP and technology-related agreements.
• Experience using enterprise-approved AI tools responsibly for legal tasks.
• Ability to balance business and legal needs and manage multiple projects.
• Exceptional leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Track record of influencing and negotiating with senior leaders

Responsibilities

• Advise business and technology teams on IP protection strategies for company innovations.
• Support management of Vanguard’s global patent portfolio and outside counsel.
• Support trade secret identification, protection, governance, and risk management.
• Negotiate and advise on technology transactions, collaborations, and partnerships.
• Advise on IP issues in commercial, technology, procurement, and strategic transactions.
• Assess and mitigate IP risks with emerging technologies and third-party relationships.
• Oversee IP litigation risk, pre-litigation disputes, and coordination with stakeholders.
• Develop templates, playbooks, governance frameworks, and training for IP protection.

Skills

Patent strategy

Trade secrets

Technology transactions

IP portfolio management

Negotiation

Leadership

Communication

AI in legal

Project management

Counseling & advisory

Education

Undergraduate degree

Juris Doctor (JD)

USPTO admission

Job description

Vanguard’s Office of the General Counsel (OGC) addresses a wide range of complex and compelling legal and compliance issues. To continue to support its growing business, Vanguard is seeking an attorney in its Intellectual Property, Marketing and Communications Legal Team. As Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property, you will be responsible for a broad portfolio of intellectual property legal matters, including global patent portfolio management, trade secret protection and governance, technology transactions, research collaborations, and technology-focused intellectual property risk management.

In this role you will:

• Advise business and technology teams on intellectual property protection strategies for company innovations, including patent protection, trade secret protection, defensive publication, and other approaches to protecting and preserving intellectual property assets
• Support management of Vanguard’s global patent portfolio and oversight of outside patent counsel
• Support trade secret identification, protection, governance, and risk-management initiatives
• Negotiate and advise on technology transactions, research collaborations, and strategic partnerships
• Advise internal business teams and OGC colleagues on intellectual property issues arising in commercial, technology, procurement, and strategic transactions
• Assess and mitigate intellectual property risks associated with emerging technologies, third‑party relationships, and internal technology development initiatives
• Assess and manage patent infringement allegations, trade secret misappropriation claims, pre‑litigation IP disputes, IP litigation matters, and IP dispute settlement strategies, including oversight of outside counsel and coordination with business stakeholders
• Support development of templates, playbooks, governance frameworks, and training designed to strengthen intellectual property protection and risk management across the organization

What it takes:

• Minimum of 10 years of related legal experience; minimum of 8 years of professional intellectual property experience
• Undergraduate degree and Law degree (JD)
• Admission to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
• Experience with patent and trade secret counseling and U.S. and foreign patent portfolio management
• Experience with drafting and negotiating intellectual property and technology-related agreements
• Experience using enterprise-approved artificial intelligence tools responsibly and effectively to support legal research, analysis, drafting, and efficient delivery of legal services
• Ability to balance business and legal needs and manage multiple projects at one time
• Exceptional leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills
• Consistent track record of success serving and navigating relationships with internal and/or external parties, including influencing, counseling and negotiating with others
• Ability to communicate effectively, influence, and build agreement with senior leaders and across a matrixed organization

Special Factors Sponsorship Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients.

To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives.

To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team.

From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection.

We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.

Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management companies, serves individual investors, institutions, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and financial professionals.

We have a diverse and talented crew with a culture that promotes teamwork, along with an unwavering focus on serving our clients' best interests.