Senior Director, Corporate Counsel – Strategic Transactions

Role Summary

As Senior Director, Corporate Counsel - Strategic Transactions, you will be the lead attorney advising BioMarin’s Corporate Strategy & Business Development organization and play a critical role advancing BioMarin’s corporate strategy to grow through external innovation. You will be a key advisor to a world-class Business Development team known for its strategic rigor, scientific sophistication, and a proven ability to lead complex growth initiatives. You will regularly interact with senior executives across the organization, including the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Business Officer, and collaborate with Intellectual Property and other Legal Department attorneys.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic transactions from end-to-end, providing both business and legal advice to Business Development, Alliance Management, and other stakeholders.
• Draft and negotiate M&A, license, collaboration and other partnering transaction term sheets and agreements independently.
• Manage legal due diligence and interpret complex issues for the Business Development team and senior executives.
• Direct the work of outside counsel on major transactions and manage Legal Department contracts associates in the drafting and negotiation of NDAs and other lower-risk contracts supporting Business Development. For non-standard agreements and smaller transactions, you will have primary drafting responsibility.
• In collaboration with BioMarin’s Intellectual Property attorneys, advise the Business Development team on intellectual property matters (especially issues related to patents and trade secrets).
• Collaborate with Alliance Management and Finance to track the achievement and payment of milestones and royalties and compliance with other contractual obligations under licenses and partnering agreements.
• Provide ongoing training for the Business Development team regarding relevant legal issues and BioMarin’s policies and procedures.
• Keep abreast of changes in laws and regulations that may impact biopharmaceutical transactions, including developments related to antitrust and intellectual property.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Legal Department’s contract templates and “playbooks” for contract negotiations.
• Provide support for other Legal Department projects, including legal research and drafting of research memoranda.
• Manage a significant workload by aligning priorities with internal clients and developing appropriate timelines for deliverables.

Qualifications

• 7+ years prior experience in a major law firm and/or in-house life sciences company structuring, drafting, and negotiating M&A, license, collaboration and other partnering agreements, including experience as the lead attorney on strategic transactions in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries.
• Solid understanding of intellectual property issues relevant to the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries.
• Background in a science relevant to the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries is a plus.
• Significant experience advising clients on both business and legal issues.
• Ability to think critically and strategically and to creatively problem solve.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills to enable management of multiple projects and delivering on aggressive timelines.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong team orientation.

Education

• J.D. from a nationally recognized law school.
• Current California Bar membership or eligibility for in-house counsel registration.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work onsite at the company’s San Rafael, CA headquarters at least 2 days a week.