Associate General Counsel

MSD Careers • Rockville, MD

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for providing critical detailed review and support for a variety of transactional activities as part of a sophisticated in-house legal team. Principal responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, reviewing, drafting, negotiating and managing contracts with licensees/licensors, suppliers, customers, collaborators and vendors. This position may also handle other legal matters such as employment law, international trade and company governance and maintenance.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Member of the bar of at least one state or the District of Columbia.
• 10 years of experience drafting, negotiating and critically reviewing agreements including proficiency with biotechnology-based licensing agreements.
• Experience with software licensing preferred.
• Technical background in biotechnology or related scientific area preferred.
• Deep familiarity with patent and technology licensing law and principles.
• Ability to propose to management, and to draft and negotiate with counterparties, creative licensing strategies.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to synthesize business and legal issues concerning a given transaction to produce textually sound agreements.
• Ability to provide effective review and feedback to other legal team members.
• Strong business acumen; capacity to learn the business rapidly and become a business partner.
• Strong intellectual capacity and high personal standards of excellence.
• Logical problem solving and demonstrated ability to organize and move project tasks forward in an orderly and structured fashion.
• Excellent oral, written communication and interpersonal skills o Demonstrate professional etiquette and courtesy and ability to build strong relationships; o Effectively communicate issues/problems and results that impact timelines, accuracy and status of contracts/agreements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required.
• A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected including the ability to multi-task and work productively in a demanding customer service environment with changing priorities.

Nice To Haves

• Technical background in biotechnology or related scientific area preferred.
• Experience with software licensing preferred.

Responsibilities

• Independently draft, negotiate, and review a broad range of commercial agreements, with strong proficiency in license agreements and Intellectual Property (IP) clauses in other agreements, including research collaboration, supply, sales, lease, financing, services, non-disclosure, and material transfer agreements.
• Advise VP & General Counsel and other legal team members and senior leaders on matters of strategic importance, such as technology transfer, risk identification and mitigation related to potential transactions.
• Advise other legal team transactional counsel on IP terms in agreements.
• Provide legal advice to business units o Conduct preventative contract and compliance training focusing on contracts, terms and conditions, and delivery/operational issues.
• As requested, research and analyze legal issues and recommend legal strategies.
• Develop and manage standardized processes, policies, tools and templates.
• Specific duties may vary depending upon departmental requirements.

Benefits

• At MSD, we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees' well-being and financial security. In addition to competitive salaries, our benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with prescription benefits.
• We provide a 401(k) plan with company matching, flexible spending accounts, and company-paid short- and long-term disability insurance as well as group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Our offerings also encompass paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays, and paid parental leave, along with an employee assistance program.
• Additional voluntary perks include a fitness club membership contribution, pet insurance, identity theft protection, home and auto insurance discounts, and optional supplemental life insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees