IP & Commercial Counsel

Description:

Overview:
The IP & Commercial Counsel will support Inertia's legal needs with a primary focus on intellectual property, while also acting as a generalist attorney for commercial matters. This role is ideal for a hands-on legal professional with experience in hardware and laboratory-based organizations.

This is an incredible opportunity to join Inertia at an early stage, and play a key role in shaping and executing the company's long-term IP strategy. Reporting to Interia's Head of Business, the Corporate Counsel role is a full time in-office position, located in our Livermore, CA office.

Primary Responsibilities:
Intellectual Property

• Develop, implement, and manage Inertia's intellectual property strategy in alignment with business and R&D objectives.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel.
• Coordinate invention disclosures and patent filings in partnership with engineers, scientists, and outside counsel.
• Support IP risk assessments, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive landscape reviews.
• Educate internal teams on IP best practices, confidentiality, and protection of proprietary information.

Commercial & General Legal

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, vendor and collaboration agreements.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to support day-to-day operations.
• Identify and help mitigate legal and contractual risks while enabling business velocity.

As a fast growing startup, there are corporate matters that will arise, and the IP & Commercial Counsel will need to act as a conduit to outside counsel for more these areas to ensure priority focus on IP & Commercial.

Qualifications:

• JD from an accredited law school; active bar membership.
• 6–8 years of legal experience with IP and commercial contracting.
• Experience supporting technology, hardware, energy, or R&D-driven organizations preferred.
• Familiarity with patent prosecution processes and working with outside counsel.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment and balance legal rigor with practical business judgement.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.

Salary & Benefits:

• The base salary range for this role is $190,000 - $235,000; The pay range provided is an estimated base range for this role. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and education.
• We offer market-competitive compensation and an excellent benefits program, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, company-paid holidays, matching 401k, and more!

About Inertia:
Inertia is taking the most direct, scientifically-proven path to commercializing fusion, leveraging the only successful achievement of fusion ignition, using a process that was pioneered at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). With groundbreaking innovation, transformative technology, and multi-year investment, Inertia is committed to commercializing fusion energy in the next decade.

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