[Hiring] Corporate Counsel - Legal Product, IP, and Marketing @Elastic

Role Description

We are looking for an innovative and curious Corporate Counsel to help shape how Elastic’s technologies are built, protected, and brought to market. Elastic is distributed-by-design and this role can be located in the United States or Canada, reporting to the Vice President of Legal Innovation (Product, IP, Marketing) with dotted line supervision by the Director of Legal Innovation. You will work alongside product and engineering teams from initial ideation through product launch, supporting legal design advice on features at the cutting edge of enterprise technology, helping the company to scale at velocity. The role assists with day-to-day in-house innovation and patent prosecution management. It carries a broad set of additional product counsel responsibilities collaborating with other legal team members to address AI governance, open-source licensing, dependency management, trademark and brand protection, baseline trade compliance backup, and commercial enablement. We're looking for a resourceful early career attorney with a roll-up-your-sleeves demeanor and the ability to navigate the intersection of law and emerging technology.

What You Will Be Doing

• Patent Prosecution & Invention Harvesting:
  • Support Elastic's day-to-day patent prosecution and innovation motions.
  • Develop a deep working knowledge of Elastic's product technology and roadmap.
  • Assist in operating the invention harvesting and patent intake program.
  • Work with other Elasticians to identify innovative ideas, evaluate inventions for patentability, and prepare or review patent disclosures.
  • Support and assist more senior legal team members and stakeholders in working with outside patent counsel.
  • Help identify and prioritize IP filings in line with portfolio strategy.
  • Support value creation and efficiencies in IP portfolio management.
• IP Portfolio Management:
  • Help manage Elastic's global patent, copyright, and trademark portfolios.
  • Include trademark monitoring and clearance, copyright registrations, and tracking all filing, prosecution, and renewal deadlines across jurisdictions.
• Brand Protection & Enforcement:
  • Support IP enforcement strategies by assisting with domain name disputes and social media takedowns.
  • Coordinate with vendors and outside counsel on pre-litigation disputes and assertions.
• Product Regulatory Governance & Product Launch Readiness:
  • Coordinate with cross-functional team members to support our Product build and release functions.
  • Support ongoing improvements to related internal guidelines.
• Open-Source & Product Counseling:
  • Assist in managing day-to-day open-source software licensing and compliance programs.
  • Ensure inbound third-party dependencies align with our outbound strategy.
  • Support in the creation of advice for engineering and product management teams on intellectual property rights, open-source licensing, AI model open weight licensing, dependencies, and data collection/usage risks.
• Commercial Contracts & Playbooks:
  • Review, research, and prepare first drafts of commercial contract clauses related to AI, IP, Product, dependencies, and open-source software.
  • Support in the updating of legal playbooks to reflect shifting industry standards.
• Legal Research & Diligence:
  • Support in and conduct factual and legal research.
  • Organize complex documentation for technology partnerships, M&A diligence, and legal disputes.
• Trade Compliance Support:
  • Develop a foundational understanding of Elastic's product and its technical intricacies.
  • Provide backup support to our core trade compliance team.
  • Learn to analyze and help apply export laws, such as the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Qualifications

• 2–5+ years of experience in patent prosecution and/or litigation and intellectual property or product law, preferably with exposure to the software industry.
• A bachelor's or advanced degree in a science or engineering field.
• Experience in or academic background in software engineering is a strong plus.
• Admission to the US or Canadian Patent Bar (registration number required).
• A JD from a US law school or LLB from a Canadian law school preferred, but patent agents are eligible.
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, or managing patent applications.
• A demonstrated interest in Generative Artificial Intelligence and the legal frameworks governing code and data.
• A self-starting, proactive approach with the poise to prioritize multiple projects.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• A strong curiosity and willingness to learn trade compliance frameworks.

Benefits

• Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary.
• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
• Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles.
• Generous number of vacation days each year.
• We match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service.
• Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love.
• Minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave.