Director, Intellectual Property & Litigation

Location Type: Hybrid

Industry: Legal

Company: Shionogi Inc.

Overview

Shionogi Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Shionogi & Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company with state-of-the-art research capabilities that has provided innovative medicines essential to people’s health for over 145 years. Shionogi is one of Japan’s oldest pharmaceutical companies, with a presence in over 10 countries and annual global sales exceeding $3 billion.

In the U.S., Shionogi Inc. develops and commercializes pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs in therapeutic areas such as anti-infectives. Shionogi Inc. has a U.S. employee base of over 250 people and is actively seeking business development opportunities to expand its presence in the U.S.

The Director, Intellectual Property & Litigation will contribute to the development of Shionogi Inc.’s intellectual property strategy for innovative products in the U.S. market, manage company IP and commercial litigations, advise and guide the US organization on intellectual property and general litigation topics, and work closely with Shionogi’s IP, Legal and business colleagues in Japan and/or Europe. The Director, Intellectual Property & Litigation will report directly to Shionogi Inc.’s VP, Intellectual Property & Litigation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategies that protect the company’s intellectual property in the U.S. and worldwide and provide advice on the IP components of company decisions.
• Collaborate with R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Commercial, and Business Development colleagues, among others, in U.S., Japan and Europe to develop and maintain durable patent portfolios and produce and implement effective strategies supporting Shionogi’s product development and commercial launches.
• Conduct intellectual property due diligence assessments on business development opportunities, including assessment of the exclusivity protection for particular products and provide transactional support to the business development group.
• Determine litigation strategies to best achieve favorable company outcomes.
• Assign and effectively manage outside law firms supporting company litigations, involving IP and other disputes.
• Coordinate with external collaborators on intellectual property matters.
• Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to business colleagues in the U.S., Japan and Europe on intellectual property matters.
• Advise commercial and business development teams on regulatory and patent exclusivities of company products and target acquisitions.
• Review publications, presentations, press releases, and other materials for intellectual property considerations.
• Support contract team as needed by review of intellectual property, data protection, and privacy terms in company agreements.
• Support global patent/trademark initiatives and ensure alignment with corporate strategy.

Minimum Job Requirements

Qualifications

• Strong academic background and experience in biochemistry, molecular biology, organic chemistry, formulation technology, or other pharmaceutical sciences.
• Juris Doctor (JD) from accredited law school with admission to at least one state bar.
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (preferred).
• At least 8 years of patent law experience preferred.
• Deep subject matter expertise in US and global patent law and patent litigation, including Hatch-Waxman and/or BPCIA litigations.
• Ideal candidate will have patent litigation experience from a top tier law firm, and experience in all aspects of IP counseling, including drafting and/or prosecuting small and/or large molecule patent applications.
• Relevant experience in litigations and managing outside counsel in such matters.

Competencies

• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to quickly articulate complex issues clearly and succinctly to business colleagues.
• Ability to work cross-culturally in an international environment, across multiple time zones.
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple assignments and maintain strict deadlines through effective time management.
• Excellent business judgment related to critical IP issues.
• Ability to be flexible and provide clear IP and litigation advice to internal clients.

Other Requirements

• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 10% of the year both domestically and internationally.
• Must live a commutable distance to our US Corporate Headquarters in Florham Park, NJ. Office presence required 50% per month, at least 2-3 days per week.

Essential Physical and Mental Requirements

• Ability to articulate clearly and conduct verbal presentations with large and small audiences.
• Ability to travel via automobile and/or airplane.
• Ability to view video display terminal images < 18″ away from face for extended period of time – up to four (4) hours at a time.
• Ability to operate a computer keyboard and telephone.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time – up to four (4) hours at a time.
• Ability to lift, tug, pull up to fifteen (15) pounds.

Disclaimer

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of requirements, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other requirements, duties and responsibilities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

You acknowledge and agree that information described herein may be disclosed to applicable regulatory authorities, alliance partners and/or third-party service providers as necessary for Shionogi to fulfil its obligations under applicable laws, including but not limited to compliance with regulatory inspections and/or audits.

EEO

Shionogi Inc. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment opportunities based on valid job requirements without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, ancestry, citizenship, disability, genetic information, status as a disabled veteran, a recently separated veteran, Active Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veterans, and Armed Forces Service Medal Veterans, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
It is the policy of Shionogi Inc. to undertake affirmative action in compliance with all federal, state, and local requirements to recruit a diverse pool of applicants and to ensure that our employment practices are, in fact, non-discriminatory.

If you are qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access this website to apply for a vacancy as a result of your disability. You can request accommodations by calling 973-307-3550 or by sending an email to ShionogiHR@shionogi.com.