US Patent Attorney – Sr. Patent Counsel, Program Strategy & Litigation

argenx • Boston, MA

4d • $252,000 - $346,500 • Remote

About The Position

argenx is seeking an experienced US patent attorney to protect innovations in its autoimmune disease portfolio and develop intellectual property litigation and contested-matter strategy. The role focuses primarily on litigation, contested matters and dispute readiness, while also partnering with the broader IP team on portfolio strategy and serving as lead attorney for a focused set of preclinical and clinical projects. Program assignments will be balanced against dispute demands and reviewed with the Global Head of IP.

The attorney will work with colleagues across the Legal, Compliance and Intellectual Property team, including the Head of Litigation and Enforcement, to align dispute strategy with business and legal priorities. The role also contributes to an evolving agentic IP team, in which attorneys and IP professionals work alongside AI agents under appropriate human direction and review.

Responsibilities include leading global IP dispute strategy and execution; managing patent portfolios and selected programs; partnering with scientific and business teams; conducting risk and competitive analyses; supporting transactions and agreements; directing external counsel and matter resources; and strengthening pre-dispute readiness. The attorney will also help pilot and improve responsible, attorney-supervised agent-assisted workflows.

The position requires a JD, active good-standing membership in at least one US state bar, USPTO registration, at least eight years of life sciences patent experience, substantial hands-on US BPCIA or ANDA litigation or contested-matter experience, and large-molecule experience. The posted US annual base salary range is $252,000–$346,500. The role is eligible for short- and long-term incentive programs and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
• Active membership in good standing in at least one US state bar.
• Registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• At least eight years of life sciences patent experience.
• Substantial hands-on US BPCIA or ANDA patent litigation or contested-matter experience, with demonstrated ability to lead complex disputes or major workstreams.
• Large-molecule experience.
• Ability to connect litigation risk and enforcement objectives with portfolio development, prosecution and business strategy, and to lead selected programs alongside contested matters.
• Demonstrable curiosity and willingness to learn emerging AI capabilities, question established processes, experiment responsibly and help colleagues adopt better ways of working.
• Strong legal and business judgment; ability to explain complex issues clearly, make practical recommendations and collaborate across scientific, commercial and legal teams.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced life sciences degree, preferably at least a thesis-based master’s degree in biology or a related field.
• Biosimilar litigation experience.
• Patent-office challenges, cross-border disputes, trial or appeal experience, and licensing or settlement negotiations.
• Both law firm and in-house experience are welcome; law-firm-only candidates will also be considered.
• Experience improving legal workflows or using AI, automation or knowledge tools.
• Learning agility, sound judgment and willingness to experiment; prior agent-building experience and coding skills are not required.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative, business-aligned patent protection and enforcement strategies and build and manage global portfolios, including overseeing patent preparation, filing and prosecution in the United States, Europe and other key jurisdictions.
• Strengthen litigation readiness and lead or support patent disputes in coordination with internal colleagues and external counsel, connecting prosecution, records and enforcement strategy.
• Lead global IP dispute strategy and execution with the Head of Litigation and Enforcement, other LCIP colleagues and external counsel, covering patent litigation, biosimilar disputes, patent-office challenges and oppositions, and related trade secret or contractual disputes.
• Act as a strategic IP partner to global project teams, translating complex science and patent issues into recommendations that support product development, commercialization and portfolio value.
• Work with scientists to identify and protect inventions, assess inventorship, manage public disclosures and strengthen trade secret protection.
• Conduct infringement, validity, freedom-to-operate and competitive landscape analyses, identifying actionable risks and opportunities.
• Lead patent-related diligence and support licensing, collaborations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions; review, draft and negotiate IP provisions and agreements.
• Manage external counsel and business partners, align priorities and resources, and deliver portfolio reviews, long-range planning and special projects.
• Evaluate infringement, validity, enforceability, evidence and business exposure; develop enforcement, defense and settlement options, communicate recommendations and decision points, and seek internal approvals.
• Select and direct external counsel in global IP litigations and contested matters with the Global Head of IP; oversee case plans, budgets, discovery, experts, witnesses and key submissions, and coordinate material risks, escalation and resourcing with relevant LCIP colleagues.
• Lead pre-dispute planning and biosimilar readiness, including work on evidence preservation, legal holds, witness preparation, and stronger invention, prosecution and development records.
• Lead patent strategy for assigned programs, including global portfolio development, prosecution, invention and disclosure management, and freedom-to-operate assessment, while maintaining scientific and business partnerships.
• Partner with program attorneys to strengthen portfolio defensibility and enforcement options and apply dispute lessons to prosecution and trade secret practices.
• Support selected diligence, licensing and collaboration matters, focusing on dispute exposure, enforcement rights and litigation-control provisions while balancing those assignments against contested-matter priorities.
• Help pilot approved agent-assisted workflows for dispute monitoring, evidence chronologies, document triage, reference verification and matter reporting.
• Define tasks, authoritative inputs, review checkpoints and escalation rules for agent-assisted work; verify outputs and references, protect confidential and privileged information, respect data-use restrictions, and retain attorney accountability.
• Partner with IP operations, technology and other colleagues to turn useful pilots into repeatable practices, share learning, coach colleagues and assess improvements in quality, responsiveness and capacity.

Benefits

• Retirement savings plans.
• Health benefits.
• Other benefits under applicable plans and program guidelines.
• Eligibility to participate in short-term and long-term incentive programs, subject to plan terms and applicable policies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree