Deputy General Counsel, Product and IP @ Tools for Humanity
About The Position
Tools for Humanity (TFH) is seeking a Deputy General Counsel, Product & Intellectual Property to lead and scale its global product counseling and IP legal functions. This senior role sits at the intersection of emerging legal and technological challenges, including digital identity, biometrics, blockchain infrastructure, decentralized finance, privacy-preserving technologies, and the evolving relationship between AI and human verification. As the senior legal advisor to product, engineering, AI, and security teams, the Deputy General Counsel will guide the company through the full product lifecycle—enabling rapid innovation while managing legal, regulatory, safety, and reputational risks. The role also oversees TFH’s global intellectual property strategy, covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, open source, and IP risk management. Key responsibilities include advising on complex legal and regulatory issues, partnering with technical leaders to assess and mitigate risk, and developing scalable approaches for global product launches. The Deputy General Counsel will lead the company’s IP strategy, manage risk assessments and disputes, and build internal processes for invention capture and compliance. Leadership of a high-performing global legal function, mentorship of attorneys, and cross-functional collaboration are central to the role.
Requirements
- 10–20+ years of experience as a product, technology, or IP attorney in both law firm and senior in-house roles.
- Strong background in intellectual property.
- Experience supporting globally distributed, highly regulated technology products.
- Technical fluency.
- Sound business judgment.
- Ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments.
- Juris Doctor from a top-tier law school.
- U.S. state bar membership.
Responsibilities
- Lead and scale global product counseling and IP legal functions.
- Serve as senior legal advisor to product, engineering, AI, and security teams.
- Guide the company through the full product lifecycle, enabling rapid innovation while managing legal, regulatory, safety, and reputational risks.
- Oversee TFH’s global intellectual property strategy, covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, licensing, open source, and IP risk management.
- Advise on complex legal and regulatory issues.
- Partner with technical leaders to assess and mitigate risk.
- Develop scalable approaches for global product launches.
- Lead the company’s IP strategy.
- Manage risk assessments and disputes.
- Build internal processes for invention capture and compliance.
- Lead a high-performing global legal function.
- Mentor attorneys.
- Engage in cross-functional collaboration.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
