Patent Counsel

Make a meaningful difference to patients around the world. Our Legal team works to protect our patients, team members, and innovations with the utmost diligence and care. You’ll have the opportunity to work with a dedicated team and build lasting partnerships with stakeholders across our global organization. Your legal knowledge and contributions will help us ensure that we are supporting the needs and interests of the patients we serve.

Work Schedule:
Given the collaborative and complex nature of this work, this role is in person full time in Irvine, California with flexibility to occasionally work from home as needed.

How you’ll make an impact:

The Patent Counsel (formal Edwards title of Senior Manager, Corporate Counsel), will:

• Manage and develop a global patent portfolio protecting Edwards’ innovation

• Collaborate with R&D, marketing, and other business functions to establish and execute an IP strategy
• Review and evaluate invention disclosures for patentability
• Prepare and prosecute patent applications, direct outside counsel in the prosecution of applications outside the United States
• Evaluate competitive threats and freedom to operate
• Advise and educate internal clients regarding IP-related issues, including new developments in patent and trade secret laws and policies

What you'll need (Required):

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an ABA accredited law school
• Admission to a State Bar
• Admission to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Minimum four years of experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications at a top-tier law firm and/or in house legal department

What else we look for (Preferred):

• Undergraduate or higher degree in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, biology, chemistry, or related field
• Experience working with life sciences technology (e.g., biology, chemistry, or medtech)
• Experience conducting patentability, landscape, freedom to operate, and invalidity searches
• Familiarity with patent and non-patent literature databases
• Experience evaluating FTO
• M&A diligence experience

• Excellent communication and interpersonal relationship skills
• Proven successful project management skills
• Strict attention to detail
• Ability to interact professionally with all organizational levels and proactively escalate issues to appropriate levels of management
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to exercise considerable latitude in determining objectives and approaches to achieving them
• Ability to represent leadership on sections of projects within a specific area interfacing with project managers and team
• Ability to develop innovative solutions to complex problems

Aligning our overall business objectives with performance, we offer competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, and a wide variety of benefits programs to address the diverse individual needs of our employees and their families.

For California (CA), the base pay range for this position is $142,000 to $201,000 (highly experienced).

The pay for the successful candidate will depend on various factors (e.g., qualifications, education, prior experience). Applications will be accepted while this position is posted on our Careers website.

Edwards is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer including protected Veterans and individuals with disabilities.

COVID Vaccination Requirement

Edwards is committed to protecting our vulnerable patients and the healthcare providers who are treating them. As such, all patient-facing and in-hospital positions require COVID-19 vaccination. If hired into a covered role, as a condition of employment, you will be required to submit proof that you have been vaccinated for COVID-19, unless you request and are granted a medical or religious accommodation for exemption from the vaccination requirement.

This vaccination requirement does not apply in locations where it is prohibited by law to impose vaccination.