IP Patent Attorney — Autheo | Blockchain, Cryptography & Advanced Technology Patents

Launch Legends•Cheyenne, WY

1d•Remote

About The Position

Autheo is recruiting an IP Patent Attorney to protect inventions across its Layer-0 Operating System and integrated Layer-1, including the Cosmos-EVM chain and protocol, DevHub, TheoID and its post-quantum roadmap, the Autheo Marketplace for compute and storage, THEO AI, DePIN, and related software and cryptographic work. The attorney will lead invention harvesting, patent strategy, drafting, and prosecution, turning work by engineers and researchers into high-quality provisional and non-provisional applications and maintaining a coherent patent portfolio as development progresses. The role reports to the Managing Directors. This is a hands-on patent practice role, not general commercial counsel or a position limited to reviewing outside counsel’s drafts. The attorney will own patent work and make filing and claim-scope decisions while working directly with inventors, the IP Program Manager, and engineering. The opportunity is part-time and equity/token-based, with no cash salary and a commitment of at least 20 hours per week. Compensation includes equity in Launch Legends, Autheo, and the WFO Creator Network, plus token allocations in the Autheo blockchain. In the first 90 days, the attorney is expected to produce a written map of Autheo’s invention surface and existing filings, including risks and a stop/continue/start list agreed with leadership and engineering; create a prioritized filing plan for the next two quarters with owners and dates; establish an inventorship, assignment, and disclosure process with the IP Program Manager; and draft at least one new application or substantial office-action response based on an Autheo invention disclosure.

Requirements

Admission to the USPTO patent bar, a JD from an accredited law school, and admission to at least one U.S. state bar.
At least 7 years of experience drafting and prosecuting provisional and non-provisional patent applications for software, cryptography, distributed systems, cloud, or blockchain technologies.
Demonstrated ability to write clear, technically deep claims and specifications for complex software or cryptographic inventions; applicants should identify a portfolio or family they led and describe their role.
Experience managing or substantially contributing to a patent portfolio at a technology company, research organization, or law firm supporting one.
Comfort working directly with inventors, protocol and cryptography engineers, and an IP Program Manager in a distributed cofounder team.

Nice To Haves

Patent prosecution or counseling experience involving Layer-0 or Layer-1 blockchain systems, such as Cosmos SDK, EVM, consensus, or IBC; cryptography; or decentralized infrastructure.
Experience with post-quantum cryptography, including NIST ML-KEM, ML-DSA, or SLH-DSA; zero-knowledge proofs; AI systems; WebAssembly; or DePIN.
International patent strategy, PCT filings, and multi-jurisdiction prosecution experience.
A technical degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field, or equivalent technical fluency.
Familiarity with open-source licensing, contributor IP frameworks, and technology transfer in collaborative environments.
Prior founder or equity-compensated experience, or experience with a fast-moving R&D or startup team.

Responsibilities

Run invention-harvesting sessions with engineers, researchers, and founders across protocol, cryptography, identity, compute and storage, AI, DevHub, and DePIN.
Decide which inventions to file, which to protect as trade secrets, and how to sequence claims; document the rationale for the team.
Prioritize the patent pipeline so provisional applications, conversions, and continuations are completed on time and cover key work.
Draft and file provisional and non-provisional U.S. patent applications for software, cryptography, distributed systems, and blockchain inventions, including technically detailed claims and specifications.
Prosecute applications before the USPTO, including office actions, claim amendments, interviews, and appeals as needed.
Coordinate PCT filings and national-phase and multi-jurisdiction prosecution with the IP Program Manager and, when used, outside counsel.
Build and maintain a coherent patent portfolio with clear owners, statuses, and deadlines, and report it to the Managing Directors.
Advise on inventorship, assignment, and IP ownership across the distributed equity-cofounder network.
Advise on open-source license compliance, contributor IP, licensing, and freedom-to-operate questions affecting filings and product releases.
Work with inventors to ensure disclosures are complete and accurate while enabling engineers to focus on building.
Partner with the IP Program Manager on intake, docketing, formalities, and reporting, and with a patent paralegal on filings and prosecution support.
When outside counsel is engaged, set the scope, review its work, and retain in-house ownership of strategy.
Within the first 90 days, map the invention surface and current filings; establish a prioritized two-quarter filing plan and an inventorship, assignment, and disclosure process; and draft at least one application or substantial office-action response from an Autheo disclosure.