Associate General Counsel-IP Due Diligence
AbbVie
August 14, 2026
Remote friendly (North Chicago, IL)
United States
$182,000 - $346,000 USD yearly
Corporate Functions
Responsibilities:
- Lead and execute comprehensive IP due diligence for M&A, licensing, option, and venture transactions (patent coverage, freedom-to-operate, validity, enforceability, competitive landscape).
- Provide legal advice to cross-functional business development, R&D, and commercial teams on IP matters in transactions and strategic partnerships.
- Analyze third-party patent portfolios and competitive landscapes; conduct patent landscaping to identify strategic risks, white-space opportunities, and competitive intelligence for risk mitigation and deal structuring.
- Prepare and present clear, actionable due diligence reports and risk assessments to senior legal, business, and scientific stakeholders.
- Partner with external counsel and internal scientists on prior art searches, validity assessments, and freedom-to-operate analyses.
- Lead and support negotiations for licensing, M&A, option, and venture transactions.
- Build relationships with science, evaluation, and business development teams to integrate IP throughout the deal lifecycle.
- Update IP leadership on diligence activities, escalate key risks, and align on IP strategy.
- Participate in technology assessment/cross-functional teams for R&D external opportunity diligence (in-licensing, co-development, acquisitions).
- Support/manage patent prosecution across biologics, peptides, small molecules, and device-related inventions with outside counsel and internal R&D.
Qualifications:
- JD from an accredited law school; active state bar admission for in-house practice; registration to practice before the USPTO as a patent attorney.
- ~8 years patent law experience as a patent attorney (law firm and/or life sciences company) with substantial pharmaceutical/biotech IP due diligence experience, including simple/complex biologics and peptides, and/or small molecules; experience with biosimilars or generics.
- Technical background relevant to pharmaceutical IP due diligence (e.g., discovery/development experience and/or degree in molecular biology/biotech/biochemistry/biology/chemistry/chemical engineering/biomedical engineering).
- Strong legal, analytical, communication, collaboration, and people skills; proven ability to manage complex projects to meet deadlines.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Pharma/biotech due diligence experience in M&A, licensing, or option deals.
- Experience with biosimilars or generic pharmaceutical patent portfolios.
- Experience advising on venture transactions or strategic collaborations with IP components.
Benefits:
- Paid time off; medical/dental/vision insurance; 401(k) to eligible employees.
Application:
- (No application instructions provided.)
- Lead and execute comprehensive IP due diligence for M&A, licensing, option, and venture transactions (patent coverage, freedom-to-operate, validity, enforceability, competitive landscape).
- Provide legal advice to cross-functional business development, R&D, and commercial teams on IP matters in transactions and strategic partnerships.
- Analyze third-party patent portfolios and competitive landscapes; conduct patent landscaping to identify strategic risks, white-space opportunities, and competitive intelligence for risk mitigation and deal structuring.
- Prepare and present clear, actionable due diligence reports and risk assessments to senior legal, business, and scientific stakeholders.
- Partner with external counsel and internal scientists on prior art searches, validity assessments, and freedom-to-operate analyses.
- Lead and support negotiations for licensing, M&A, option, and venture transactions.
- Build relationships with science, evaluation, and business development teams to integrate IP throughout the deal lifecycle.
- Update IP leadership on diligence activities, escalate key risks, and align on IP strategy.
- Participate in technology assessment/cross-functional teams for R&D external opportunity diligence (in-licensing, co-development, acquisitions).
- Support/manage patent prosecution across biologics, peptides, small molecules, and device-related inventions with outside counsel and internal R&D.
Qualifications:
- JD from an accredited law school; active state bar admission for in-house practice; registration to practice before the USPTO as a patent attorney.
- ~8 years patent law experience as a patent attorney (law firm and/or life sciences company) with substantial pharmaceutical/biotech IP due diligence experience, including simple/complex biologics and peptides, and/or small molecules; experience with biosimilars or generics.
- Technical background relevant to pharmaceutical IP due diligence (e.g., discovery/development experience and/or degree in molecular biology/biotech/biochemistry/biology/chemistry/chemical engineering/biomedical engineering).
- Strong legal, analytical, communication, collaboration, and people skills; proven ability to manage complex projects to meet deadlines.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Pharma/biotech due diligence experience in M&A, licensing, or option deals.
- Experience with biosimilars or generic pharmaceutical patent portfolios.
- Experience advising on venture transactions or strategic collaborations with IP components.
Benefits:
- Paid time off; medical/dental/vision insurance; 401(k) to eligible employees.
Application:
- (No application instructions provided.)