Global IP Counsel: Patents Strategy & Cross-Border Deals

Formlabs; Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity program

Healthcare coverage

401K matching

Parental leave

Sabbatical leave

Out-of-office plan

Parking & commuter benefits

On-site lunches

Professional development

Culture events

Unlimited 3D prints

Job summary

Formlabs is seeking an IP Counsel in Somerville, MA to own the patent portfolio strategy and guide global protection efforts. You’ll collaborate with R&D and inventors to shape future technology and expand beyond IP into corporate, commercial, and employment matters.

You will draft and prosecute patents with USPTO and international offices, manage outside counsel, and support litigation and licensing when needed. We value a proactive, generalist legal approach.

Qualifications

• J.D. and admission to at least one state bar, plus registration to practice before the USPTO (patent bar).
• Undergraduate degree in engineering, physics, mathematics, or a related technical field.
• Deep expertise in U.S. patent law, plus working knowledge of major international patent systems; experience with trademark and trade secret law.
• A track record in patent drafting, prosecution, and portfolio management, ideally where you can point to real decisions you made about what to file and what not to file.
• At least 3 years at a top-tier law firm focused on patent work.
• While you index on patent work, you’re excited about an expanded scope to learn to operate as a generalist, taking on whatever tasks the business requires.

Responsibilities

• Own patent portfolio value, not just volume: build metrics and criteria to determine what to file, maintain, or cut.
• Set global patent strategy across U.S. and international offices, with cross-border risk in mind.
• Draft, file, and prosecute patent applications with USPTO, EPO, CNIPA.
• Run FTO analyses, patentability assessments, and portfolio risk reviews.
• Partner with R&D to catch patentable inventions early, before lab notebooks get buried.
• Manage outside counsel across prosecution, opinions, and disputes to control cost and quality.
• Support IP litigation, opposition proceedings, and enforcement when needed.
• Contribute to manufacturing, vendor, and strategic commercial contracts as needed.
• Cover other general legal matters to help the business as a whole.

Skills

Patent strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Legal research

Negotiation

Communication

Education

J.D. degree with bar admission

Job description

Formlabs is seeking an IP Counsel in Somerville, MA to own the patent portfolio strategy and guide global protection efforts. You’ll collaborate with R&D and inventors to shape future technology and expand beyond IP into corporate, commercial, and employment matters.

You will draft and prosecute patents with USPTO and international offices, manage outside counsel, and support litigation and licensing when needed. We value a proactive, generalist legal approach.