Lead Counsel, Innovation Law

McKesson•Irving, TX

1d•Remote

About The Position

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve – we care. What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow’s health today, we want to hear from you. The Lead Counsel, Innovation Law is responsible for driving McKesson’s next-generation approach to patents, trade secrets, and innovation alignment, with a primary focus on innovation portfolio monetization and strategic business value creation. This role transforms patent and trade secret management from a technology-pushed model to a strategy-pulled approach grounded in business priorities and commercial opportunities. The role partners across McKesson Technology, product teams, business development, and the enterprise to create a modern, defensible, cost-disciplined, and revenue-generating innovation posture. The ideal candidate brings strong business acumen, experience in patent licensing, monetization strategies, and cross-functional business liaison skills.

Requirements

7+ years’ experience in IP portfolio management, patent monetization, licensing, or related IP commercialization fields
Demonstrated experience with patent licensing, portfolio monetization, IP transactions, or IP litigation support
Experience in healthcare technology or enterprise technology environments
Strong business acumen and ability to translate IP strategy into business value
Proven ability to partner effectively with business stakeholders and cross-functional teams
Patent monetization and licensing expertise
Strategic IP portfolio design and commercialization
Business development and revenue generation through IP assets
Innovation prioritization and harvesting with focus on commercial value
Ability to translate business priorities into IP protection and monetization strategies
Strong business acumen and financial analysis skills
Excellent communication, negotiation, and cross-functional stakeholder influence
Experience with licensing negotiations, IP transactions, or IP-related dispute resolution
Juris Doctor Degree with excellent academic credentials. Member of a jurisdiction is required
Minimum Education & Typical Experience or Equivalent Combination Degree or equivalent and typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience
Must be authorized to work in the US. Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Responsibilities

Innovation Strategy & IP Portfolio Monetization Lead the shift to a strategy‑pulled technology IP program aligned with business priorities
Prioritize and harvest high‑value innovation opportunities with commercial potential
Oversee portfolio pruning and rationalization for relevance, cost discipline, and monetization readiness
Develop and execute business-driven IP strategies including licensing programs, portfolio sales, and strategic partnerships
Lead patent monetization and licensing efforts, including negotiating license agreements, identifying licensing opportunities, and managing licensing relationships
Partner with business development teams to identify strategic IP opportunities and revenue streams
Conduct competitive IP landscape analysis to inform business strategy and identify monetization targets
Trade Secrets & NDA Modernization Design and operationalize a focused trade secret program with emphasis on protecting commercially valuable innovations
Redefine confidentiality posture and reduce friction in NDA usage
Support adoption and evolution of McKesson’s proprietary NDA automation chatbot
Freedom to Operate Analysis Lead Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis and clearance opinions, primarily for McKesson's NorthStar Rx business
Oversee and manage outside counsel for FTO opinions and competitive patent landscape assessments
Partner with product and business teams to identify and mitigate third-party IP risks
Business Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement Develop communications and training to help the enterprise understand patent and trade secret opportunities, risks, and commercial value
Serve as strategic business partner to technology and product leadership on IP-related business decisions
Build and maintain relationships with external IP counsel, licensing partners, and industry contacts