Associate General Counsel, Patent Prosecution - India (North Chicago)

AbbVie is searching for an in‑house Associate General Counsel for our Patent Prosecution group, part of AbbVie’s Intellectual Property, Transactions, and Innovation legal team. This position will support AbbVie’s pharmaceutical products and be based in our offices in North Chicago, IL, Waltham, MA, South San Francisco, CA, or Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and counsel to cross‑functional R&D and business teams on a variety of IP‑related matters and serve as a subject matter expert on patent strategy in India.
• Maximize AbbVie’s competitive position through creation and implementation of intellectual property strategies.
• Draft, file, and prosecute strategically useful patent applications worldwide both directly and through management of outside counsel.
• Challenge and defend patents in IPR, opposition, interference, and other post‑grant proceedings, including implementing strategies to expedite resolution of Indian proceedings.
• Conduct prior art searches, analyze third‑party patent positions, and conduct due diligence to support business development activities.

Qualifications

• JD degree from an accredited law school, state bar admission enabling in‑house practice (specific state not required), and registration to practice before the USPTO.
• 8+ years of experience practicing patent law as an attorney or patent agent at a law firm and/or life sciences company, including substantial experience obtaining and defending Indian patents.
• Technical background relevant for pharmaceutical patent prosecution, such as:
  • Experience with small‑molecule and/or biological pharmaceutical discovery & development.
  • Technical degree in a relevant field, such as molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, or biomedical engineering.
• Strong legal, analytical, communication, collaboration, and people skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects to meet deadlines.

Additional Information

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
• This job is eligible to participate in our long‑term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company’s sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

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