Enable America Jobs

Job Description :

Which company will you join?

From Arthur Guinness to Johnnie Walker, our business was founded on people of outstanding character, and in 250 years, nothing has changed. We’re the world’s leading premium alcohol company! Our brands are industry icons including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness. Our success is thanks to the strength of our people, in every role. It’s why we trust them with our legacy and why we reward them with the career-defining opportunities that they deserve. Our ambition is to build the best performing, most trusted and respected Consumer Products Company in the world. To achieve these, we need the very best people!

At Diageo, our purpose is to celebrate life everywhere, every day. To do that, you will join an organization that is passionate about customers and consumers, and proud of what they do. Diageo teams constantly set high goals and then try hard to exceed them. We are also an incredibly diverse organization, and we value each and every one’s talent and personality.

About You:

Diageo is looking for a dedicated, independent and hardworking IP lawyer to join its global legal team. A key part of the role will be to lead the IP support for various of our highly valuable and business critical brands.

The role will report into our General Counsel, IP.

We’re looking for an individual who can deliver outstanding commercial advice to business partners, especially our global and North American marketing and innovation functions, and take responsibility for effective administration and protection of global and/or US portfolios for multiple product categories and brands, as well as support on IP-related transactional work on M&A and other investment-focused transactions. The person best suited to this role will be agile and able to deliver strategic commercial advice in a fast-paced environment. They will have a deep knowledge of IP and be able to think strategically about how best to use and develop our portfolio to clear the path and enable strategic opportunities for their business partners.

About the Role:

The Diageo IP team comprises 29 roles, based across Asia, Europe and the Americas. This exciting role is one of those 29 and will primarily lead on IP and advertising related counseling for numerous brands/categories in North America and globally.

• Be a key member of a team delivering all aspects of world class intellectual property legal services.

• Build proactive counseling relationships with marketing, innovation, tax, strategy and other corporate personnel- become a key strategic partner for relevant customers. In doing so, take ownership of business outcomes driving a flexible, commercially minded approach – encourage confidence and engagement in the business through excellent business partnering and thought leadership.

• Protect and handle global IP portfolio in a responsible manner to ensure commercially informed, efficient and strategically considered protection.

• Deliver IP-related support on Diageo’s M&A agenda, including due diligence, negotiation and drafting of agreements.

• Understand strategic priorities of market/business and provide legal counsel on global innovation and marketing initiatives, including clearance searching, rendering availability opinions, initiating and leading all aspects of filing programs, and advice on false advertising risks, claims substantiation, right of publicity issues, and other intellectual property related issues. Cut through complexity to deliver practical commercial solutions.

• Initiate and lead bold/efficient enforcement programs to challenge third-party activities that adversely affect the brands, including oppositions, cancellations and intellectual property related litigations. Effectively handle outside counsel and wider budget in a cost-efficient manner.

• Negotiate and draft trademark and marketing-related transactional documents, such as license agreements, settlement agreements, artist agreements, etc.

• Lead by being a self-starter and exercising sound judgment and effective and efficient time management.

• Ensure the long term value of our key brand assets by delivering commercially astute advice with the right risk profile.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key specialist IP law firms, to ensure they understand business needs and provide fit for purpose advice at the right level of staffing and cost

• Provide strong leadership and role-modeling for junior IP counsel and paralegals.

Experience required/Skills/Capabilities/Languages:

We are looking for a qualified US attorney, admitted to the bar, with at least 6 years post-qualification experience in Intellectual Property; ideally, with some experience in connection with IP in commercial/M&A transactions as well as counseling on advertising related issues. You will have spent time in private practice at a leading law firm working with large brand rich corporates. Previous in-house experience is preferred, but not crucial. Experience of strategic commercial thinking, effectively influencing clients and business partners is required.

The role also requires:

• Strong experience in U.S. and international trademark portfolio management, including clearance searching, rendering availability opinions, and related business counseling and education. Prosecution of U.S. and foreign trademark applications.

• Experience in providing legal advice around false advertising, right of publicity and FTC compliance issues.

• Experience with M&A or investment-focused transactions.

• Confirmed capability of dealing independently with sophisticated IP issues, challenges, and litigation.

• Consistent track record of leading sophisticated legal transactions and dealing effectively with external legal service partners in multiple jurisdictions; experience of complex negotiations, cross-border transactions and commercial structures.

• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to interact confidently with a diverse range of senior customers.

• Excellent professionalism; commitment and integrity; passion for, and experience in, inspiring and leading people; confident in, and sensitive to, different cultures; and a passion for Diageo’s success.

• Excellent analytical, drafting and negotiating skills with a strong commercial and pragmatic approach- applies knowledge of the law and understanding of the business, with shown ability to generate respect from both the business and colleagues for judgment, approach and commitment.

• Someone who is a self-starter and enjoys working with ambiguity.

• An ability to handle demanding workloads and timelines, and to prioritize work.

• A willingness to take ownership for “end-to-end” delivery of legal support.

• An ability to work with minimum supervision.

• Solid understanding of copyright, patent and trade secret protection.

Diversity statement:

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to Diageo’s purpose of “celebrating life every day everywhere”. This purpose is, in itself, inclusive in nature, as it values everybody irrespective of background, disability, religion, gender identity, sexuality or ethnicity.

We know that for Diageo to succeed and realize its ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow and our values, purpose and standards set the conditions for us to respect the outstanding contribution each person brings.

Worker Type :

Regular

Primary Location:

3WTC

Additional Locations :

Job Posting Start Date :

2024-06-25

Salary Range:

Minimum Salary:

$181988

Maximum Salary:

$303313

At Diageo certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, including annual incentive payment and stock awards. US-based employees are eligible for healthcare benefits, retirement benefits , short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, wellness benefits and industry leading parental leave, among others. (Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Diageo and the country where you work.) The salary range displayed is the salary range for the role’s primary location.

With over 200 brands sold in more than 180 countries, we’re the world’s leading premium drinks company. Every day, over 30,000 talented people come together at Diageo to create the magic behind our much-loved brands. From iconic names to innovative newcomers – the brands we’re building are rooted in culture and local communities. Our ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and most respected consumer products companies in the world.

Our founders, such as Arthur Guinness, John Walker, and Charles Tanqueray, were visionary entrepreneurs whose brilliant minds helped shape the alcohol industry. And through our people, their legacy lives on. Join us, and you’ll collaborate with talented people from all corners of the world. Together, you’ll innovate and push boundaries, shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future that we can all be proud of.

With diversity at our core, we celebrate our people's unique passions, commitments and specialist skills. Because when varied voices, mindsets, and personalities come together, great ideas are born. In our supportive culture, your voice will be heard and you’ll be empowered to be you. Just bring your ambition, curiosity and ideas, and we’ll celebrate your work and help you reach your fullest potential.

DRINKiQ

What's your DRINKiQ? Take our quiz to understand how alcohol is made and explore the effects of drinking. You can discover everything you need to know at DRINKiQ (https://www.drinkiq.com/en-gb/)