Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property
Circle is a global financial technology firm that enables businesses of all sizes to harness the power of digital currency and public blockchains for payments, commerce and financial applications worldwide. Circle platforms and products provide a suite of internet-native financial services for payments, treasury infrastructure and capital formation. Circle is also a principal developer of USD Coin (USDC), which has become the fastest growing dollar digital currency in the world. USDC has grown to over 53+ billion in circulation and supported over $1.9+ trillion in transactions in the past year. Circle’s payments and treasury infrastructure services available through the Circle Account and APIs helps bridge the legacy financial system and digital currency and blockchain based finance. Circle’s SeedInvest service brings internet-native fundraising and capital formation to startups and growth companies. Combined, Circle’s suite of services helps companies to participate in a more open, global and inclusive financial system.
What you’ll be part of:
With the mission “To raise global economic prosperity through the frictionless exchange of financial value,” Circle was founded on the belief that the internet, blockchains and digital currency will rewire the global economic system, creating a fundamentally more open, inclusive, efficient and integrated world economy. We envision a global economy where people and businesses everywhere can more freely connect and transact with each other with new technologies for digital money and internet-native finance. We believe such a system can raise prosperity for people and companies everywhere. Our mission is powered by the values we espouse and which we expect all Circlers to respect. We are Multistakeholder, serving the needs of our customers, our shareholders, our employees and families, our local communities and our world. Furthermore, we are also Mindful, Driven by Excellence, and High Integrity.
What you’ll be responsible for:
Circle innovates. We are looking for an experienced intellectual property attorney to develop, grow, and protect Circle’s innovation. Under the direction of the Assistant General Counsel, Litigation and Intellectual Property, you will play an immediate and direct role in providing legal support to all aspects of Circle’s intellectual property needs. In this role you will be responsible for implementing a comprehensive intellectual property program. We seek a generalist with broad background and experience with intellectual property, technology partnerships, product launch, litigation support, commercial transactions, and mergers & acquisitions.
What you'll work on:
- Managing Circle’s growing IP portfolio, including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyright, and other intellectual property rights.
- Actively partnering with business and engineering teams on patent strategy and prosecution.
- Advising on IP-related commercial agreements.
- Assisting with IP due diligence and deal negotiations in strategic transactions and mergers & acquisitions.
- Defending Circle in any IP dispute.
- Advising the engineering team on open source software use and licensing.
- Provide leadership to Circle on important intellectual property issues in emerging blockchain and crypto-markets.
You will aspire to our four core values:
- Multistakeholder - you have dedication and commitment to our customers, shareholders, employees and families and local communities.
- Mindful - you seek to be respectful, an active listener and to pay attention to detail.
- Driven by Excellence - you are driven by our mission and our passion for customer success which means you relentlessly pursue excellence, that you do not tolerate mediocrity and you work intensely to achieve your goals.
- High Integrity - you seek open and honest communication, and you hold yourself to very high moral and ethical standards. You reject manipulation, dishonesty and intolerance.
What you’ll bring to Circle:
- Minimum of 15 years of substantive intellectual property experience with a corporate legal department or law firm.
- Experience in preparation and prosecution of patent applications is a basic requirement. Member of Patent Bar and technical degree or relevant technical experience preferred.
- Practical experience working with business copyright and trademark teams, including working with brand and development teams to implement copyright and trademark strategies.
- Hands-on experience with engineering team on software development IP issues, including open source use and licensing.
- Demonstrated involvement with developing and implementing trade secret programs, policies, and processes and integrating these with the overall IP strategy.
- Leadership role with IP litigation and dispute resolution.
- Practical business judgment and excellent communication skills.
- Willingness to work outside of your comfort zone in a rapidly evolving and growing start-up environment.
- Sound, practical business judgment to your legal recommendations.
- Creative problem solver.
- Proven track record of learning quickly, taking initiative, being resourceful, and taking on additional responsibility.
- Law degree (J.D.) from ABA-accredited institution and active membership in at least one US State Bar.
- Experience/familiarity with Slack, Apple MacOS and GSuite.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at Circle. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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