DescriptionFirst Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.
Basic Job Functions:
- Perform contract drafting and negotiation of complex IP agreements and other agreements having IP sensitive provisions. As the point of day-to-day responsibility within the legal department, partner with members of development engineering, global supply chain, manufacturing engineering, and other company associates to assist in the company’s efforts to develop, acquire, sell and hold IP assets, advise the business as an expert on all aspects of IP (patents, technical data, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks) such as strategies, enforcement, protection, avoidance, and collaborations.
- IP portfolio management of trademarks and patents on a world-wide basis.
- Merger and Acquisition IP lead/support (advise, draft, negotiate) including working with external counsel on IP due diligence and managing post-acquisition IP integration.
- Handles IP infringement issues including responding to third party IP issues.
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations related to IP.
- Conduct legal, technical, and scientific research and gather evidence.
- Explain, clarify, and simplify complex technical information.
- Patent licensing in/out bound.
Education/Experience:
- BS degree in either Electrical Engineering, or Physics discipline.
- JD degree from an accredited university, and admission to a state bar.
- Registered Patent Attorney in the USPTO.
- 8+ years of experience as a registered Patent Attorney.
- 5+ years of complex IP agreement drafting and negotiation experience required.
Required Skills/Competencies:
- Transactional experience in drafting and negotiating various complex IP agreements
- Experience in managing transactions as lead associate from project kick-off through closing
- Ability to successfully interact with colleagues from various functional areas in fast-paced environment
- Ability to communicate complicated legal concepts in a user-friendly manner
- Strong reading, writing and presentation skills
- Team and cross-functional player, with the ability to transition between a lead and support role depending on the circumstances
- Highly organized multi-tasker
Essential Responsibilities:
- Draft, review, negotiate, and document legal aspects of transaction for IP related agreements whether in a lead or support role for Joint development, module purchase, joint venture and debt financing, merger and acquisition arrangements.
- Partner with members of development engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality control, and global supply chain teams, and other company associates during the kick-off stage of a project through and beyond closing, in an effort to provide legal solutions that allow the company to meet its goals while protecting its interests
- Support development teams by reviewing legal aspects of commercials and development relationships, providing contract interpretation guidance and attending associated meetings
- Lead IP initiatives for new country entrance, including understanding doing business requirements, IP laws for the particular jurisdiction, applicable laws and licensing and tailoring IP strategies to align
- Enable the development of new products and collaborations through the creation of form contracts when possible
- Manage outside counsel, including providing drafting guidance, educating counsel on company offerings and risk standards, and diligently monitoring spend
- Form respectful, strong working relationships with existing and potential customers and their legal advisors
- “Own the Deal”, which means maintaining up-to-date knowledge of IP law, terms, conditions, and transaction status and open issues
- Interact with members of various other functional areas wo will be impacted by the transaction, including accounting, treasury, insurance, subject matter specialists within the legal department
- Commitment to developing and sustaining a first class in-house legal department, including by providing timely and clear legal advice to business, operations and functional counterparts, being supportive , solution-driven and team-focused and providing assistance to fellow members of the group
- Conduct product clearances and respond to adversely held patent assertions
Reporting Relationships:
- Reports to Chief IP Counsel
Travel:
Estimated Annual Salary Range:
- $170,000 - $240,000 Estimated Annual Salary
US Physical Requirements:
All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. To best service our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation. First Solar is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.
Potential candidates will meet the education and experience requirements provided on the above job description and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role. All candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check and any other tests that may be required.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: First Solar is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our company.
