Senior Patent Counsel San Francisco, CA (Hybrid) (970-SLS)

About the Company

Our client is a publicly traded digital health company revolutionizing care delivery through technology and AI. They are at the forefront of innovation in AI-driven care, computer vision, wearable technology, and care automation, with a strong focus on building robust intellectual property to support their growth.

The Role: Senior Patent Counsel

This is a high-impact role for a strategic and hands-on Senior Patent Counsel tasked with building and managing the company’s intellectual property portfolio. You will be instrumental in adopting AI tools to accelerate IP processes. As the inaugural in-house patent attorney, you will take ownership of the company’s IP portfolio, focusing on active creation beyond just management. Your responsibilities will encompass the entire patent strategy, including using AI to draft patent applications in-house, driving invention harvesting, and collaborating with outside counsel to secure granted patents. You will work directly with advanced AI tools, engineers, product managers, and clinical experts to align IP strategy with the product roadmap.

Responsibilities

• Manage the company’s global patent and trademark portfolio end-to-end.
• Develop and execute the IP strategy in alignment with business objectives and product roadmap.
• Leverage AI-powered tools for prior art searches and drafting initial patent applications to reduce turnaround time.
• Partner with R&D, Product, and Clinical teams to identify patentable innovation and lead invention harvesting initiatives.
• Organize and lead invention review meetings to assess invention disclosures and determine filing strategies.
• Serve as the primary drafter for new patent applications, particularly in key technology areas.
• Respond to office actions and manage patent prosecution to maximize claim scope and grant rate.
• Facilitate the adoption and improvement of AI tools across the patent lifecycle, optimizing prompts and workflows while ensuring quality.
• Manage outside IP counsel for foreign filings and complex prosecution matters, ensuring strategic alignment and budget adherence.
• Provide patent landscape reviews, patentability analyses, and competitor monitoring.
• Support IP due diligence for M&A activities, partnerships, and strategic transactions.
• Develop and deliver internal training on IP awareness, invention disclosure, and trade secret protection.
• Advise internal stakeholders on IP ownership, inventorship, and related contractual matters.

Experience Required

• J.D. from an accredited law school with active U.S. state bar membership.
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• 5-7 years of experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications, with a preference for a mix of law firm and in-house experience.
• Strong technical fluency in computer science, electrical engineering, data science, or a related field, with an ability to understand complex software, AI/ML, and hardware technologies.
• Experience managing outside counsel relationships and patent prosecution budgets.
• Familiarity with international patent prosecution (PCT, EP, key foreign jurisdictions).
• Experience using AI tools to enhance and accelerate deliverables.
• Experience building or scaling an IP portfolio at a technology, healthcare, or med device/SaMD company.
• Experience with IP due diligence in M&A or strategic partnership contexts.
• Excellent communication skills to explain complex IP concepts to non-legal stakeholders.
• Strategic mindset to translate business goals into a comprehensive IP strategy.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation package, including base salary range of $216,000 – $324,000.
• Eligibility for equity participation.
• Comprehensive benefits, including retirement plans with company match, modern life stipends, and support for family and wellness needs.

Application Process

• Solutus Legal Search is exclusively retained for this search. Resumes submitted directly to the client will be forwarded to Solutus Legal.