Senior IP Counsel - Materials Group

Description:

Job Description:
Location: Mentor, OH (Hybrid preferred; remote work will be considered for qualified non-local candidates.)

Reporting to: Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Global M&A and Intellectual Property

Avery Dennison is seeking a Senior IP Counsel for its Materials Group business. The candidate should be well-versed in corporate IP strategy, domestic and international IP procurement, enforcement/litigation, due diligence/clearance, business counseling, and transactional support. This position will work closely with the company's technology and innovation leadership teams, as well as regional directors of R&D, Marketing, and Procurement. The candidate will need a background that permits him/her to provide direct, hands-on legal leadership for core material science platforms, pressure-sensitive adhesives, functional coatings, and digital identification technologies.

A successful Senior IP Counsel will be expected to:
Global IP Strategy & Commercial Alignment

• Drive and execute a global IP strategy aligned with core business growth, high-margin product platforms, and expansion in key international markets.
• Counsel business leaders on portfolio optimization, patents vs trade secrets, trademarks, and open-source models to maximize ROI and market protection.
• Manage, allocate, and optimize global IP budgets and external legal spend.

Portfolio Development & IP Lifecycle Management

• Oversee end-to-end global patent procurement (drafting, PCT/foreign filings, prosecution) to build strong, defensible IP fences around key platforms.
• Guide, challenge, and triage R&D inventions to ensure high-value filing decisions and strong alignment with technology roadmaps.
• Execute offensive and defensive IP strategies, including competitive surveillance, EPO oppositions, and third-party observations.

Freedom to Operate (FTO), Risk Mitigation and Disputes

• Conduct rigorous patentability, validity, and Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) analyses to clear new product launches and minimize infringement risks.
• Advise executive leadership and stakeholders on legal risks regarding patenting, commercial readiness, and contractual exposure.
• Manage IP litigation, adversarial proceedings, and dispute resolution in close coordination with outside counsel and internal business partners.

Complex Commercial Transactions & M&A

• Structure, draft, and negotiate complex IP and technology transactions, including Joint Development Agreements, inbound/outbound licensing, strategic vendor contracts, and research collaborations.
• Lead IP due diligence and risk assessment for M&A, joint ventures, and venture investments.

Cross Functional Leadership & Enablement

• Act as an embedded legal partner to R&D, Commercial, Procurement, and Business Development teams, integrating IP guidance early into product development.
• Design and deliver IP training programs for cross-functional staff on IP best practices, invention disclosures, and trade secret protection.
• Mentor, integrate, and leverage global internal IP resources, external agents, and foreign counsel.

Qualifications:
General Qualifications:

• Superior understanding of, and ability to take and manage risk.
• Strong business acumen, and ability to connect the law and legal strategies to business goals in a way that guides clients to successful outcomes.
• Excellent grasp of finance and budgeting concepts.
• Demonstrated ability to lead.

Education and Credentials:

• A technical degree (B.S., M.S., or Ph.D.) in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering,
• Polymer Science, Physical Chemistry, or Mechanical Engineering is required. Deep technical familiarity with
• pressure-sensitive adhesives, self-adhesive label stock, films (functional and/or graphic wrapping), polymers
• or surface/coating technology is strongly preferred.
• A law degree (J.D.), registration with the USPTO, and admission to the Bar in at least one U.S. state in good
• standing are also required.

Required Experience:

• 15+ years of dedicated patent and legal experience (including at least 3+ years in an in-house corporate law
• department supporting industrial materials, chemicals, roll-to-roll processing or advanced manufacturing),
• including strong business counseling and strategy, transactions, patent drafting and prosecution, freedom to
• operate opinions, and litigation.
• Demonstrated experience with international patent practice (PCT, EPO, CNIPA) and post-grant opposition
• proceedings (especially EPO oppositions).
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience in collaboration with global
• teams, including the ability to communicate across regional and cultural boundaries.
• Robust transactional experience (including complex JDAs, licenses, partnering and strategic sourcing
• agreements)

Preferred Experience:

• Litigation and patent opposition/invalidation experience.
• Experience with RFID, digital identification, smart labels, sensor integration, or AI and other emerging technologies.
• Trademark portfolio management experience

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