Senior Director, Associate General Counsel, IP & Litigation

Unity Technologies•Mountain View, CA

2d•$233,600 - $467,200•Hybrid

About The Position

Unity is seeking a senior legal leader to lead its IP and Litigation function, partnering closely with the Chief Legal Officer and internal IP team to develop and drive legal strategy for Unity’s IP portfolio. The role oversees intellectual property matters involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights, including enforcement and defense, open source, and IP issues in mergers and acquisitions. It also leads the company’s non-employment litigation and dispute resolution across IP, commercial, securities, privacy, and regulatory matters, in partnership with legal subject-matter specialists. The position leads IP strategy, portfolio development, enforcement, defense, prosecution, and risk management, as well as litigation and dispute resolution worldwide. It oversees litigation operations, including outside counsel, budgets, litigation practices, and coordination with Finance, the CLO, business partners, and other legal teams. The role also manages and develops legal professionals and delivers training on IP and litigation-related topics. The role reports to the SVP, Chief Legal Officer. The preferred locations are San Francisco or New York, with three days per week in the office strongly preferred. Periodic travel to key hubs and events is expected, with travel up to approximately 15%. Relocation support and work visa or immigration sponsorship are not available.

Requirements

10 or more years of experience, including leading IP strategy (patent, trademark, and/or copyright) and complex litigation in a global organization or law firm, and creatively and practically partnering with the business.
JD from an accredited law school.
Admission to at least one state bar.
Demonstrated experience managing complex IP and commercial disputes through all stages, including trial or appellate exposure, and directing outside counsel.
Experience with IP enforcement, defense, litigation management, and risk mitigation in an advertising technology or software environment.
Experience with IP strategies and issues relating to generative artificial intelligence.
Sufficient knowledge of English for professional verbal and written exchanges; the role requires frequent and regular communication with colleagues and partners worldwide.

Nice To Haves

Admission to practice before the USPTO.
Experience managing a broad litigation docket across multiple practice areas, such as commercial, securities, privacy/consumer, and regulatory matters.
Experience with a public company, including securities litigation and related disclosure and insurance considerations.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute enforcement and defense strategies across patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights, including demand letters, cease-and-desist actions, takedowns, and responses to infringement claims.
Partner with IP professionals and outside counsel to build and implement Unity’s global IP strategy and develop its patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright portfolios.
Engage in invention harvesting and patent prosecution, ensuring the portfolio is strategically aligned and defensible.
Develop the company’s trade secret strategy, including training on identification and protection of trade secrets.
Align the global trademark portfolio with business needs, including enforcement.
Guide the organization on copyright issues, including risk assessment and dispute avoidance.
Partner with product attorneys on open source compliance and licensing processes, including addressing license violations and compliance claims.
Support IP due diligence for M&A and IP-related agreements, including settlement and license agreements arising from disputes.
Lead IP disputes and litigation from pre-suit assessment through resolution, including outside counsel, case strategy, discovery, and settlement.
Set strategy for Unity’s worldwide litigation, arbitration, and disputes, including commercial and contract, securities and shareholder, consumer and privacy, and regulatory matters.
Manage the litigation docket and outside counsel, including budgets, staffing, motion practice, trial and appellate exposure, and settlement.
Oversee company-wide non-employment litigation practices, including litigation holds, e-discovery and preservation, privilege protocols, case reporting, early case assessment, and reserve input to Finance and Legal leadership.
Coordinate with the CLO, Finance, and legal team leads on disclosure considerations, insurance and D&O coverage, and communications with the Board and executive team about material matters.
Partner with the business and legal commercial, privacy, and regulatory counsel to identify dispute risks early, avoid disputes, and resolve them practically.
Respond to and manage government inquiries, subpoenas, and investigations with appropriate legal and compliance stakeholders.
Prepare and deliver training on IP, litigation readiness, document retention, and dispute avoidance.
Manage budgets for litigation spend, outside counsel, and settlements, including forecasting and regular reporting to the CLO.
Lead and develop a team of legal professionals.

Benefits

Comprehensive health, life, and disability insurance.
Commute subsidy.
Employee stock ownership.
Competitive retirement or pension plans.
Generous vacation and personal days.
Leave and family-care programs supporting new parents.
Office food and snacks.
Mental health and wellbeing programs and support.
Employee Resource Groups.
Global Employee Assistance Program.
Training and development programs.
Volunteering and donation matching program.
The role may be eligible for equity awards and participation in company incentive plans, such as annual discretionary bonuses or sales commissions.