Counsel, Patents & IP

Lyft•Seattle, WA

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

At Lyft, this position manages the company’s patent function, including patent portfolio strategy and day-to-day management. The role also advises on open source, reviews technical publications before external release, and serves as a trusted advisor on intellectual property matters across the business. It reports to the Senior Director, Associate General Counsel, IP. The role works closely with engineers, researchers, lawyers, and other stakeholders. It supports IP needs connected to Lyft’s global expansion, Lyft Urban Solutions’ mobility hardware and software business, and the deployment and expansion of autonomous vehicles on Lyft’s network. This is a hybrid role based in the Seattle area. Team members are expected to work in the office three days per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Hybrid team members may work from anywhere for up to four weeks per year. The expected base pay range is $161,920–$202,400, excluding potential equity, bonus, and benefits.

Requirements

At least 5 years of patent prosecution experience in a relevant area.
Experience advising on open-source license compliance.
Membership in the Patent Bar and substantial understanding of patent law outside of litigation.
Juris Doctor degree required.
Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or an equivalent technical field.
State bar membership.
Eligibility to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Proactive, self-directed, detail-oriented, and organized, with exceptional communication skills.
Adaptable and positive under shifting priorities, with flexibility to move between deep legal work and high-volume, lighter-touch counseling.
Demonstrated AI fluency and comfort using AI tools in day-to-day work.
Comfort with shifting priorities.

Nice To Haves

In-house patent portfolio building or management experience.
A sense of humor.

Responsibilities

Own the company’s patent portfolio end to end, including invention harvesting, invention disclosure meetings, portfolio mining, and directing outside patent counsel on patent application preparation and prosecution.
Drive patent strategy and make filing, continuation, and abandonment decisions based on technical merit, competitive landscape, and cost.
Manage portfolio health and reporting against product roadmaps.
Counsel and collaborate with engineering on review and approval of inbound and outbound open-source licenses, including license compatibility and compliance risk.
Review papers, blog posts, conference talks, and other public technical disclosures for intellectual property and confidentiality risks, and provide related counseling.
Provide strategic and portfolio advice and counsel stakeholders on protecting and defending intellectual property rights worldwide.
Support intellectual property diligence for partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and vendor relationships.
Train and educate product and engineering teams on intellectual property matters.
Build tools, policies, and processes that scale with the business.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance options, with additional programs available when enrolled.
Mental health benefits.
Family-building benefits.
Child care and pet benefits.
401(k) plan with company match.
Twelve observed holidays.
Discretionary paid time off for salaried team members; hourly team members receive 15 days of paid time off.
18 weeks of paid parental leave for biological, adoptive, and foster parents.
Subsidized commuter benefits.
Monthly Lyft credits and complimentary Lyft Pink membership.
In-office perks.