Counsel IP Compliance

Western Digital; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 171,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation time

Medical/dental/vision insurance

401(k) plan

Job summary

Western Digital is seeking an attorney to provide legal support in IP Compliance and AI. The role reports to the Director of IP Compliance and requires a proactive, organized, and tech-savvy candidate who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate has JD and 2–3+ years in patent/trade secret matters, with strong communication and analytical skills. This exempt position is based in California with the Irvine office as noted in the posting.

Qualifications

• Requires JD degree from an accredited law school.
• 2-3+ years of attorney experience in patent/trade secret litigation or transactions.
• Knowledge of trade secret and patent law; ability to grasp AI, storage, semiconductor concepts.

Responsibilities

• Analyze laws and regulations concerning AI and their impact on WD.
• Collaborate across functions on AI governance and risk assessments.
• Provide strategic analysis and advice on IP Compliance matters.
• Assist with IP-related internal investigations.
• Develop and provide training on IP Compliance topics.
• Participate in IP onboarding discussions for high-risk candidates to minimize risk.

Skills

Legal analysis

IP Compliance

AI governance

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

• Job Type (exemption status): Exempt position - Please see related compensation & benefits details below
• Salary Range: 170,600.00-227,400.00
• Business Function: Legal
• Location (Secondary): Irvine Office--LOC_WDT_USCA01

Company Description

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.

As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in.

We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.

We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.

Join us and let’s shape the future of data.

Job Description

We are seeking an attorney to provide legal support and guidance in the areas of IP Compliance and Artificial Intelligence (AI). This position will report to our Director of IP Compliance.

The ideal candidate is someone that is action-oriented, focused, organized, innovative, and comfortable with technology. We’re seeking someone who is flexible and thrives in a fast-paced environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong critical thinking and attention to detail are equally meaningful in this role. A positive attitude and a team player are a must!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyze laws and regulations concerning AI to understand their impact on WD
• Collaborate across different functions on AI governance and risk assessments
• Provide strategic analysis and advice to internal clients on IP Compliance matters
• Assist with IP-related internal investigations
• Develop and provide training to employees regarding IP Compliance topics
• Participate in IP-related on-boarding discussions for high-risk candidates to evaluate and minimize the risk of the candidates using or disclosing unauthorized third-party confidential information here at the Company
• Participate in IP-related off-boarding for high-risk terminations to help protect the Company and business partner confidential information and trade secrets

Qualifications

• Undergraduate and/or graduate degree in computer science, electrical engineering, materials science, or related discipline
• J.D. degree from an accredited law school; top 50 law school preferred
• Membership in one state bar
• 2-3+ years of experience working as an attorney at a top law firm and/or as an in-house attorney at a technology company, in the areas of patent/trade secret litigation or transaction
• Knowledge of trade secret and patent law
• Ability to quickly grasp technical concepts related to AI, storage, semiconductor, and computing industries
• Excellent technical, organizational, and analytical skills
• Ability to effectively communicate legal and compliance issues verbally and in writing, in a clear and understandable manner
• Excellent presentation skills
• Has a customer service focus and works collaboratively with internal partners
• Ability to be proactive and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong work ethic and ability to consistently produce high quality work product under deadline pressures
• Instills trust and develops/maintains good working relationships with internal partners
• Ability to work effectively in a global environment, including sensitivity to cultural differences

Additional Information

Western Digital thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

Western Digital is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [emailprotected] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Compensation & Benefits Details

• An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education; qualifications; certifications; and experience; (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job; (3) performance, contribution and results; (4) geographic location; (5) shift; (6) internal and external equity; and (7) business and organizational needs.
• Thesalaryrange is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New Yorkor remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future.
• If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.

You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses undereither WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan(“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan(“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.

• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time; paid sick leave; medical/dental/vision insurance; life, accident and disability insurance; tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts; employee assistance program; other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity; tuition reimbursement; transit; the Applause Program; employee stock purchase plan; and the WD Savings 401(k) Plan.
• Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Notice To Candidates: Please be aware that WDand its subsidiaries will never request payment as a condition for applying for a position or receiving an offer of employment. Should you encounter any such requests, please report it immediately to WD Ethics Helpline or email [emailprotected] .

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