| Major, Lindsey & Africa (“MLA”) has been exclusively retained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO” or “Organization”) to conduct a search for a General Counsel to be located in its Alexandria, VA headquarters. USPTO is an equal opportunity employer. Interested candidates please submit your resume (in MS Word) to the recruiters managing this search at USPTOGC@mlaglobal.com, or to the MLA recruiter who contacted you about this position. Please do not contact the Organization directly; all resumes sent to the USPTO will be routed back to MLA for handling and will create delays. Company Overview: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO advises the president of the United States, the secretary of commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. Position Overview: The USPTO's Office of General Counsel plays a vital role in the execution of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) mission to issue patents and trademarks. The General Counsel serves as the principal legal advisor to Office of Under Secretary for Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. The General Counsel supervises the court and administrative tribunal representation on intellectual property (e.g., patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret matters) and administrative matters (e.g., labor, personnel, government contracts, and fiscal) for the agency. The General Counsel is also responsible for advising on all legal aspects of matters arising before the Agency. Experience: A broad-based, generalist capacity and background will be vital to supporting the diversified legal issues encountered in an organization the size and breadth of the USPTO. The General Counsel will direct all legal activities of a $3.5 billion organization with close to 13,000 employees. The successful candidate will have at least 15 years of broad-based legal experience dealing with a variety of sophisticated legal issues in all areas of general law including procurement, labor, employment, investigations, fiscal matters, Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, regulatory matters, and intellectual property law. This is a critical role within the organization and the position requires an accomplished attorney with a distinguished professional and leadership record. The successful candidate must have proven people leadership capabilities, strategic thinking and execution skills, and the presence and gravitas to interact with senior executives and internal and external stakeholders. There is a strong preference for prior General Counsel/Divisional GC or Deputy General Counsel experience obtained in the private sector or the government. Compensation: Competitive base and bonus. Location: Alexandria, VA |
