Biologics Senior Counsel

Job Summary

The Senior Counsel will be an experienced patent attorney responsible for biologics projects on a talented team committed to diversity and inclusion. This position is on a US team dedicated to all aspects of patent protection for a diverse range of programs across Sanofi's business units. The attorney will advise on a wide range of intellectual property matters, including patent prosecution, worldwide patent portfolio management, overall IP strategy, patentability, and freedom–to–operate analyses.

The attorney will also be embedded in multidisciplinary program teams, enabling the attorney to contribute to all aspects of IP–related business strategy while actively participating in agreement negotiations and other transactional work. The position reports directly to one of the two Leads for Biologics IP US and is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Principal Accountabilities

• Manage and direct outside counsel throughout the preparation, filing, and prosecution of US, EPO, and foreign patent applications in biotechnology areas, including control of strategy.
• Interact with stakeholders (including in Research & Development, Project Management, Business Development, Franchise, Industrial Affairs) in the US and Europe on a daily basis to provide client counselling, spot and solve legal issues, and proactively solicit invention disclosures.
• Proactively counsel internal stakeholders about IP strategy related to Sanofi's business.
• Provide patentability evaluation of IP related to internal or external projects.
• Initiate, defend and manage post issuance proceedings such as post grant reviews, inter partes reviews, and oppositions.
• Participate in the drafting, reviewing and negotiation of agreements covering intellectual property rights.
• Conduct, direct, and analyze patent searches, and render opinions on validity, non–infringement and patent avoidance of third–party patents.
• Review proposed research papers and other publications for any impact on patent rights.
• Develop and maintain an appropriate network inside Sanofi's Biologics Business Units and the Global IP group.

Qualifications

• A motivated self–starting person exhibiting initiative to contribute to the team in more ways than the mere handling of assigned projects.
• Graduate degree (PhD or MS) in a biological or biochemistry science.
• Registered US Patent Attorney.
• Member of at least one US State Bar.
• 5–8 years minimum of patent law experience gained in–house and/or in a law firm. No in–house experience is necessary – the manager is happy to train relatively new attorneys of exceptional talent.
• Experience handling complex biologics IP matters such as vaccines, antibodies, peptides, nucleic acids, and/or gene therapy.
• Able to independently handle the preparation and prosecution of patent applications.
• Experience in handling US inter partes reviews and/or EP oppositions is preferred.
• Excellent communication skills and agility working with a team of global colleagues.
• Fluent in English.

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

PDN

At Sanofi diversity and inclusion is foundational to how we operate and embedded in our Core Values. We recognize to truly tap into the richness diversity brings we must lead with inclusion and have a workplace where those differences can thrive and be leveraged to empower the lives of our colleagues, patients and customers. We respect and celebrate the diversity of our people, their backgrounds and experiences and provide equal opportunity for all.