Description:
- TerViva is a fast-growing food and agriculture company, headquartered in Oakland, California, with significant operations in Florida, and offices, nurseries and tree farms in Hawaii and Australia.
- TerViva is seeking an experienced intellectual property (“IP”) attorney to join our legal team, which includes both internal and outside counsel. We are at a pivotal time in the company’s journey, and the successful candidate will be a highly qualified and pioneering legal executive capable of guiding the business through an innovation transformation as the company develops its IP portfolio and related database platform. At this significant moment in TerViva’s history, the successful candidate will have an opportunity to be embedded in TerViva’s business units and influence the Company’s strategy and results.
- This position reports directly to the chief legal officer (“CLO”) and will work with TerViva’s legal team in these areas: developing TerViva’s global IP portfolio and related database platform, IP licensing, IP risk mitigation, industry standards development strategy, offensive/defensive IP assertion strategies and related projects, all manner of contract drafting including joint venture, strategic partnership, distribution and other commercial agreements, analysis and strategy development for contractual disputes, employee matters central to IP, negotiations and other related legal matters.
- The successful candidate will have experience in and advise senior leadership on “all things IP”: the development and protection of TerViva’s intellectual assets and “crown jewels” that drive the Company’s growth, capitalization, revenue and profits; management of both strategic and NPE disputes; and external communities and ecosystems (trade associations, PTO relations, and common interest organizations).
- It is preferred although not essential that this candidate will also have general transactional, real estate and agricultural law experience, particularly as it relates to IP. The selected candidate will work collaboratively with the legal team.
- Perform a variety of complex and routine legal duties under the supervision of the CLO and other executives.
- Facilitate and where appropriate prepare corporate documentation relating to “all things IP” as they may relate to global expansion including affiliate and subsidiary incorporations, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, relationship and contract amendments, dissolutions, strategic mergers and acquisitions (including but not limited to IP due diligence), financings, tax and audit matters, share and asset transactions.
- Work with outside lawyers in a variety of disciplines in all TerViva and related geographies to attend to IP as it pertains to corporate, real estate, grower, oil purchase, off-take and related transactions, including filings and registration requirements related to same.
- Use relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether IP related events or processes comply with local, state and federal laws, regulations, or standards.
- Attend to contracts of a wide and diverse nature as they relate to IP including leases, easements, grower and tree purchase, oil and offtake, construction, government grant, contract research, nondisclosure, materials transfer, confidential information and invention assignment, consultancy and employment agreements.
- Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively and produce error-free documents.
- Draft, prepare, edit and proofread IP correspondence, contracts, documents and forms.
- Assist the CLO and outside counsel with a wide variety of IP matters including US Patent Office and international provisional, utility, design, method, composition, formula and PCT applications, copyright, trade secret, trademark and service mark applications, i.e., Transmittals, Declarations, Power of Attorneys, Assignments, Transmittals, Extensions of Time, Information Disclosure Statements, Maintenance Fee payments, Intellectual Property and Invention Handbooks and related Programs including but not limited to Trade Secret Programs, and related Intellectual Property Training and Invention Meetings and related matters.
- Handle administrative, confidential and sensitive company information.
- Conduct legal and business intelligence research using online resources.
- Actively provide back-up support to the CLO, executives, and manage others in accordance with TerViva’s standards and best practices.
- Address and advise on all legal matters for TerViva both proactively and as directed.
- Review, draft, edit and negotiate complex contracts, including but not limited to vendor agreements, purchase orders, material supplier contracts, material transfer agreements, non-disclosure agreements, employment agreements, license agreements, processing agreements and sales contracts.
- Collaboratively work with the legal team and outside counsel to develop IP portfolio, including assuring quality and establishing strategies for portfolio optimization in line with company objectives.
- Advising on, and collaborating with, our global technical community and senior leadership on intellectual property and related legal matters.
- Manage administration and resolution of IP legal issues throughout company departments and levels.