Senior Counsel, Litigation

FIS; Jacksonville (FL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Internal career growth opportunities

Flexible and creative work environment

Diverse and collaborative atmosphere

Professional and personal development

Opportunities to volunteer and support

Job summary

FIS in Jacksonville, FL is seeking an experienced Senior Litigation Counsel to manage complex commercial litigation and disputes, with a focus on technology, software, financial services, IP, and contracts. You will partner with executives and business leaders to shape dispute strategy and risk management.

The role requires a JD, US bar admission, and at least eight years in litigation, including directing outside counsel and managing budgets.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor or equivalent legal degree and admission to practice in at least one US jurisdiction.
• Eight or more years of legal experience with a focus on complex commercial litigation.
• Experience managing significant matters through pleadings, discovery, motions, mediation, trial prep or arbitration.
• Ability to advise executives on risk assessment, dispute resolution and strategy.
• Experience directing outside counsel and managing budgets and case outcomes.
• Strong research, writing, advocacy, analytical, communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters in a dynamic, global organization.
• Experience with technology and AI-enabled tools in legal operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage a complex docket of commercial litigation, arbitration, pre-litigation disputes and other contested matters in the United States and internationally.
• Develop and execute litigation strategies aligned with the company's legal, business, financial, and reputational objectives.
• Advise executives on risk assessment, litigation exposure, dispute resolution, and strategic alternatives.
• Manage disputes involving commercial contracts, technology and software services, financial products and services, customer and vendor relationships, business torts, and other enterprise matters.
• Conduct early case assessments and provide clear, practical recommendations regarding claims, defenses, potential exposure, settlement posture, and litigation strategy.
• Identify opportunities to resolve disputes efficiently while preserving important legal, commercial, and strategic interests.
• Manage and provide strategic advice on litigation involving patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, software and other intellectual property rights.
• Advise on disputes concerning software ownership, licensing rights, source code, confidential information, restrictive covenants, and alleged misuse or misappropriation of technology.
• Partner with IP counsel, technologists, product teams, and business leaders to understand complex technologies and translate technical issues into legal strategies.
• Evaluate IP claims and defenses including infringement, validity, ownership, inventorship, licensing, and damages.
• Support protection and enforcement of the company’s IP and defend against third-party claims.

Skills

Legal strategy

Negotiation skills

Legal research

Written & oral advocacy

Project management

Tech affinity (AI tools)

Education

Juris Doctor

Admission to practice in US jurisdiction

Job description

Position Type :

Full time

Type Of Hire :

Experienced (relevant combo of work and education)

Education Desired :

Bachelor of Law

Job Description

Every day at FIS, innovators, problem solvers and changemakers work together to create technology that advances the world of finance. We embrace new ideas, challenge what's possible and empower our teams to make a lasting impact. If you're ready to help shape the future of fintech, unlock your next chapter with FIS.

Role Location:

Jacksonville, FL - Hybrid (Tuesday-Thursday in-office)

About the Role

In this Senior Litigation Counsel role, you will manage complex commercial litigation, and disputes to protect FIS and advance its business objectives. You will serve as a strategic legal partner to executives and business leaders, providing practical advice on dispute avoidance, risk assessment, litigation strategy, and resolution. The role will have a particular emphasis on commercial disputes involving technology, software, financial services, intellectual property, contractual rights, and other significant enterprise matters. The preferred candidate will bring meaningful experience with intellectual property litigation, including patent, trade-secret, copyright, trademark, or software-related disputes.

About the Team

The FIS Legal team consists of approximately 200 attorneys and paraprofessionals worldwide who collaborate closely with business units to advance enterprise goals. We work pragmatically and efficiently, providing actionable legal guidance that helps the company manage risk, resolve disputes, protect its assets, and support innovation and operational execution.

Your key responsibilities

Commercial Litigation and Dispute Management

• Manage a complex docket of commercial litigation, arbitration, pre-litigation disputes, and other contested matters in the United States and, where appropriate, internationally.
• Develop and execute litigation strategies aligned with the company's legal, business, financial, and reputational objectives.
• Advise executives and business colleagues on risk assessment, litigation exposure, dispute resolution, and strategic alternatives.
• Manage disputes involving commercial contracts, technology and software services, financial products and services, customer and vendor relationships, business torts, and other enterprise matters.
• Conduct early case assessments and provide clear, practical recommendations regarding claims, defenses, potential exposure, settlement posture, and litigation strategy.
• Identify opportunities to resolve disputes efficiently while preserving important legal, commercial, and strategic interests.

Intellectual Property and Technology Litigation

• Manage and provide strategic advice on litigation involving patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, software, proprietary technology, data, and other intellectual property rights.
• Advise on disputes concerning software ownership, licensing rights, source code, confidential information, restrictive covenants, and alleged misuse or misappropriation of technology.
• Partner with intellectual property counsel, technologists, product teams, and business leaders to understand complex technologies and translate technical issues into effective legal strategies.
• Evaluate potential intellectual property claims and defenses, including infringement, validity, ownership, inventorship, licensing, and damages issues.
• Support the protection and enforcement of the company's intellectual property and defend the company against third-party intellectual property claims.

What you bring

Required qualifications

• Juris Doctor or equivalent legal degree and admission to practice law in at least one relevant U.S. jurisdiction.
• At least eight years of legal experience, with a substantial focus on complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution in a law firm, corporate legal department, or combination of both.
• Experience managing significant commercial litigation matters through key phases of a dispute, including early case assessment, pleadings, discovery, motions practice, mediation, settlement, trial preparation, or arbitration.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complicated legal and factual issues and provide clear, practical advice to executives and business colleagues.
• Experience directing outside counsel and managing litigation strategy, budgets, discovery, and case outcomes.
• Strong legal research, writing, advocacy, analytical, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple complex matters and drive projects to completion in a dynamic, matrixed, and global organization.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize technology, including legal technology and AI-enabled tools, to enhance legal operations, manage risk, and drive efficient outcomes.

Preferred qualifications

• Significant experience with intellectual property litigation, particularly patent, trade-secret, copyright, trademark, software, or technology disputes.
• Experience litigating disputes involving software licensing, source code, proprietary technology, confidential information, data rights, or technology-services agreements.
• Experience with patent infringement, invalidity, licensing, ownership, inventorship, damages, or related patent-litigation issues.
• Experience working with engineers, developers, product leaders, technical experts, and expert witnesses on technically complex matters.
• Experience with financial services, banking, payments, fintech, information technology, software, technology services, or outsourcing.
• Admission to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or a technical or scientific background relevant to patent litigation, is beneficial but not required.

What we offer you

At FIS, you'll have opportunities to grow your career, collaborate with talented colleagues, and make an impact that reaches far beyond your role.

Our benefits include:

• Internal career growth opportunities
• Flexible and creative work environment
• Diverse and collaborative atmosphere
• Professional and personal development resources
• Opportunities to volunteer and support charities

Privacy Statement

FIS is committed to protecting the privacy and security of all personal information that we process in order to provide services to our clients. For specific information on how FIS protects personal information online, please see the Online Privacy Notice.

EEOC Statement

FIS is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, genetic information, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. The EEO is the Law poster is available here supplement document available here

For positions located in the US, the following conditions apply. If you are made a conditional offer of employment, you will be required to undergo a drug test. ADA Disclaimer: In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Sourcing Model

Recruitment at FIS works primarily on a direct sourcing model; a relatively small portion of our hiring is through recruitment agencies. FIS does not accept resumes from recruitment agencies which are not on the preferred supplier list and is not responsible for any related fees for resumes submitted to job postings, our employees, or any other part of our company.