Senior Director - Patent Counsel

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Patent Counsel India, Africa and selected countries in southeast Asia

The position provides advice and counsel on IP matters for India and also covers Africa and certain countries in southeast Asia.  With the principle focus on India the position will be based at Lilly’s country headquarters in Gurgaon. The position includes the handling of Patent Litigation and local IP policy and advocacy matters.   

This position is a key member of the international patent team, as well as an integral part of the local businesses.

This position requires an attorney experienced in pharmaceutical patents and IP policy who is has good communication skills, is proactive, and leads with agility, bold creativity and execution, and who has a desire for accelerated delivery balanced by clear communication and highly ethical counselling. The attorney will work effectively with a team of lawyers from around the world in a collaborative approach that transcends the local business and always recognizes the strategic corporate goals. This position reports to the VP-Chief Patent Counsel International Litigation.

Responsibilities include the following:

• Provide intellectual property (IP) support and clear counselling in respect to the assigned geography to accelerate delivery and provide the best possible IP protection/exclusivity for the market, including (where applicable):
  • Patent listing regimes and, where appropriate, patent linkage
  • The interaction between Pricing Reimbursement and Access (PRA) and IP
  • Paediatric and Orphan drug exclusivity provisions
  • IP components for regulatory applications
  • Regulatory data protection
  • Patent term extensions
  • Internal business planning activities
  • Antitrust considerations
• Work on patent litigation - both offensive and defensive - in the assigned geographies, to achieve business-positive outcomes, in line with Lilly values whilst being fully coordinated and aligned with the global litigation strategies and case theories.
• Actively engage in IP advocacy locally and influence Lilly’s policy development and reforms in assigned geographies with the objective of improving the system for pharmaceutical IP and identifying and neutralizing/mitigating threats. In particular:
  • Take an active role in strategically important local trade associations
  • Partner with Govt Affairs to attend meetings with Govt stakeholders
  • Establish relationships with firms and policymakers
  • Participate in conferences and monitor proposed law changes
  • Partner with Local public policy and contribute, feedback, and update the company Global IP policy unit.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and consultant to the global patent division on the law and best practices for procurement partnering with responsible managers in the patent procurement dept on county and regional strategies.
• Support research collaboration and/or licensing agreements involving IP arising out of the assigned geographies, working collaboratively with Lilly’s contracting functions (IP transactions/TCOE team) to resolve any local legal issues arising.
• As an attorney within Lilly, lead with a continuous improvement mindset by remaining well-versed in laws, court precedents, and regulations pertinent to pharmaceutical products; apply knowledge appropriately in carrying out individual responsibilities as well as opportunities within the team and organization.
  • Prioritize and manage projects; contribute to the implementation of new policies and procedures; lead task-directed teams.
  • Contribute to efficiency, collegiality, and collaboration both in the local business and in the global team.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

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