IP Counsel

We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Washington D.C., London and Amsterdam.

Plaid’s IP program promotes innovation by recognizing and celebrating Plaid’s diverse community of innovators and leveraging intellectual property to provide Plaid a competitive advantage, capture value, and increase freedom in the marketplace to pursue our mission. This role is part of a team of centralized legal subject matter experts who provide support across all of Plaid’s functions. Our mission is to craft empathetic, forward-looking solutions that empower our stakeholders and propel innovation and competitive differentiation. 

Responsibilities

• Manage, protect and strategically expand Plaid’s IP program and portfolio in order to protect Plaid’s products and competitive position in the ecosystem

• Partner cross-functionally to “harvest” inventions within Plaid to identify ideas and projects that are appropriate for patent protection

• Manage Plaid’s trademark portfolio and brand protection

• Manage offensive IP protection measures, including logo and domain takedowns

• Manage defensive IP measures, as needed or strategically warranted

• Draft and negotiate IP provisions in commercial agreements, including complex data licensing agreements and innovative partnership deals

• Contribute to developing and refining Plaid’s approach to the use of AI

Qualifications

• 4+ years of in-house patent portfolio management experience, preferably during the growth stage of a patent program, including inventor education and outreach, invention discovery and capture, building a diverse inventor community, and strategic portfolio development

• 7+ years experience patent application drafting, patent prosecution, patent litigation, patent licensing, and commercial transactions including sophisticated IP terms

• Experience with trademark portfolio develop and brand protection a plus

• Experience developing open source and trade secret programs a plus

• Strong interest in fintech, including open banking, payments, data processing, machine-learning, and cloud management

• Excellent writing, oral communication, and organizational skills

• JD degree required

• US Bar admission

• Must be admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

$179,280 - $267,840 a year

Target base salary for this role is between $179,280 and $267,840 per year. Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans. 

Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!

Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations@plaid.com.

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