Senior Legal Counsel/ Legal Counsel

Geron Corporation•Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

3h•$215,000 - $300,000

About The Position

The Senior Legal Counsel/Legal Counsel is a legal generalist who supports the needs of every company function. The role provides end-to-end legal support and guidance on varied, enterprise-wide work, rotating across projects and support areas with the legal team rather than focusing on a narrow practice area. The position reports to the Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer. Responsibilities span strategic transactions, commercial and clinical contracting, corporate governance, financings and securities, intellectual property strategy, and regulatory and compliance matters. The counsel also handles a broad range of emerging legal needs, such as employment questions, disputes, new policies, and novel issues without precedent. The role calls for a self-directed, business-oriented lawyer with strong judgment, negotiation and drafting skills, and the ability to simplify complex issues into practical recommendations. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, adapt to shifting priorities, and use technology and AI tools to increase the efficiency and impact of a lean legal team.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Active bar license in good standing in any U.S. state, with the ability to obtain a limited in-house counsel license in the state where the candidate will be based.
At least 4 years of legal practice.
Hands-on experience with M&A, licensing and collaboration agreements, corporate governance, or other strategic transactions in the life sciences sector.
Exposure to public company matters, including SEC reporting, disclosure, or financings.
Strong negotiation, drafting, and business judgment.
Ability to distill complex legal and business issues into clear, practical guidance and recommendations.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; collaborative, customer-centric problem-solving and effective partnership with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to manage ambiguity, rapidly shifting priorities, and multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, delivering accurate results under tight timeframes and with limited resources.
High integrity, sound ethical judgment, strong attention to detail, and a self-directed, accountable approach.

Nice To Haves

Large law firm experience and/or experience with life sciences clients or companies.
Prior in-house experience at an emerging or high-growth biotechnology or pharmaceutical company.
Familiarity with the drug development lifecycle, from discovery through clinical trials to commercialization.

Responsibilities

Support strategic transactions, including M&A, in-licensing and out-licensing, research and development collaborations, co-development and co-commercialization deals, option agreements, and asset purchases; assist with diligence, term sheets, negotiation, and drafting.
Draft and negotiate CRO, CDMO, clinical trial, master services, supply, consulting, and material transfer agreements; develop templates and playbooks to accelerate the business.
Support board and committee meetings; prepare resolutions and minutes; manage equity and entity matters; and advise on governance best practices.
Support equity financings and public company matters, including SEC reporting, disclosure, insider trading compliance, and investor-related matters.
Partner with patent counsel on licensing terms, ownership and inventorship questions, and intellectual property diligence.
Work with Regulatory Affairs, Clinical, and Quality teams on legal questions involving FDA requirements, privacy and data protection, anti-kickback and transparency rules, and healthcare compliance.
Address other legal needs as they arise, including employment questions, disputes, new policies, and novel issues without precedent.
Provide end-to-end legal support and guidance across company functions and diverse enterprise projects.
Use technology and AI tools to work more efficiently and scale the impact of the legal team.