Hybrid IP & Advocacy Practice Group Director

Dorsey & Whitney LLP; Phoenix (AZ); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Dorsey & Whitney LLP seeks a Practice Group Director to drive success across Patent, Trademark, Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment, and Construction Litigation Practice Groups. This hybrid role partners with practice leadership and administrative teams to align priorities with firmwide initiatives and champion people-centered processes.

Based in a U.S. office, you will lead operational initiatives, supervise the Intellectual Property Practice Manager, and coordinate with HR, Finance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• 10–15 years of supervisory/management experience.
• 7+ years of patent and trademark experience (U.S./foreign filing, prosecution, maintenance, and docketing) or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. and foreign patent/trademark rules and procedures.
• Leadership, project management, stakeholder management, and influence without authority.
• Excellent collaboration, communication, analytical ability, and judgment with sensitive personnel and risk issues.
• Familiarity with budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis, and performance reporting.
• Working knowledge of AI tools and willingness to evaluate emerging technologies.
• Desired: Advanced degree and prior law firm experience in HR or operations.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic advisor to firm and Practice Group leadership on operational, people-related, and administrative matters; identify needs and opportunities and lead designated initiatives to advance Practice Groups' priorities.
• Lead operational and systems initiatives within Patent and Trademark practices, including workflow design, staffing models, quality controls, resource allocation, and cross-department coordination; maintain deep knowledge of U.S. and foreign prosecution workflows and drive continuous improvement. Supervise Intellectual Property Practice Manager.
• Partner with administrative functions (HR, Finance, Information Services, Knowledge Management, Marketing, etc.) to advance Practice Groups' priorities and facilitate effective implementation of firm initiatives and processes within Practice Groups.
• Lead people-focused initiatives, policies, and processes at the Practice Group level, including onboarding and offboarding, succession planning, training and career development, workload management, performance management, compensation, and associate advancement to partnership.
• Coordinate with Finance on budgets, reporting, staffing models, profitability, and matter management; monitor industry and internal trends to recommend operational enhancements.
• Facilitate client reporting and budget tracking; collaborate with Marketing on cross-practice initiatives, sponsorships, conferences, RFPs, and intranet content.
• Support Practice Groups' strategic business plans, clarify priorities, track progress, and help remove roadblocks; promote consistent communication across Practice Groups and administrative teams; identify and address morale, retention, and performance challenges.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical ability

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Dorsey & Whitney LLP seeks a Practice Group Director to drive success across Patent, Trademark, Regulatory Affairs, Labor & Employment, and Construction Litigation Practice Groups. This hybrid role partners with practice leadership and administrative teams to align priorities with firmwide initiatives and champion people-centered processes.

Based in a U.S. office, you will lead operational initiatives, supervise the Intellectual Property Practice Manager, and coordinate with HR, Finance,