Trademark Legal Counsel (Houston)

Texas, United States of America

Job Family Group: Legal Jobs

Worker Type: Regular

Posting Start Date: June 30, 2026

Business Unit: Legal

Experience Level: Experienced Professionals

What’s the role

Shell is seeking a Trademark Legal Counsel (also known internally as Legal Counsel) to join its team in Houston, TX. Shell’s trademarks play a critical role in protecting the company’s brand, reputation, and heritage. The Trademark Licensing & Portfolio team within Legal Services provides specialist legal advice on trademark portfolio management, licensing, and brand protection.

The Trademark Legal Counsel will support the management and protection of Shell’s global trademark portfolio, including licensing activities and anti-counterfeiting efforts. This role requires providing commercially focused, outcome-driven, cost effective, and risk-based legal advice to businesses.

Accountabilities

• Provide strategic, timely, practical, and commercially focused trademark advice in relation to portfolio management, licensing, and brand protection
  • Support the management and development of Shell’s global trademark assets, ensuring alignment with business strategy
  • Advise Shell businesses, on trademark licensing
  • Assist in anti-counterfeiting and enforcement strategies
  • Support strategic, efficient and cost controlled trademark portfolios
• Identify and elevate legal, regulatory, and reputational risks, ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies are in place
• Collaborate with Commercial Legal team and business stakeholders to deliver integrated legal support
• Monitor developments in trademark law and practice and communicate potential impacts to the business
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and capability building within the team
• Deliver high-quality trademark legal support across portfolio management, licensing, and enforcement matters
• Manage interactions with external trademark counsel for assigned matters, ensuring alignment with Shell standards, including effective use of external resources
• Ensure accurate and reliable trademark data and reporting, in coordination with portfolio management processes
• Draft and review trademark-related agreements and documentation in line with legal and commercial requirements
• Support governance processes for trademark disputes and portfolio decisions
• Keep relevant stakeholders informed of key risks and developments
• Ensure that Shell’s global trademark portfolio and licensing risks are identified and documents are appropriately drafted to reflect commercial decisions, consistent with professional standards, legal obligations, the Shell Code of Conduct, Shell General Business Principles, including the Shell Control Framework and IP Standard

What you bring

• Must have legal authorization to work in the US on a full-time basis for anyone other than current employer
• Law degree and licensed to practice law in Texas
• At least 10 years of experience in trademark law, including trademark portfolio management, licensing, brand protection and trademark litigation
• Experience drafting and negotiating licenses, working with or managing external counsel, and service providers, and trademark litigation
• Demonstrated commercial acumen and risk-based decision‑making
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including ability to work across cultures and geographies
• Ability to handle complex trademark matters with appropriate supervision and to elevate where required
• High level of integrity and commitment to ethical and compliant behavior, aligned with Shell values
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under pressure
• Strong ability to innovate and deploy technology and to embrace and adapt through change

What we offer

The base salary range for this position is $178,000 – $266,000 per year. Individual pay will be based on various factors, such as relevant work experience, education, certifications, skill level, seniority and internal equity.

For regular full‑time or part‑time employees of the Company, insurance coverage options include medical, dental, vision, life, business travel accident, and occupational accidental death benefit programs. Employees also participate in a company pension plan and a 401(k) plan. Paid leave includes up to six weeks of paid vacation time, up to eleven paid holidays, and parental leave offering sixteen weeks of paid leave for birthing parents, and eight weeks of paid leave for non‑birthing parents.

Additional benefits include short‑term disability leave for up to 26 weeks at 100% or 50% of base pay, long‑term disability insurance and other financial reimbursement for adoption, wellness, education and personal learning expenses. Some roles are eligible for discretionary long‑term incentives.

• Progress as a person as we work on the energy transition together
• Continuously grow the transferable skills you need to get ahead
• Work at the forefront of technology, trends and practices
• Collaborate with experienced colleagues with unique expertise
• Achieve your balance in a values‑led culture that encourages you to be the best version of yourself
• Benefit from flexible working hours, and the possibility of remote/mobile working
• Perform at your best with a competitive starting salary and annual performance‑related salary increase; our pay and benefits packages are considered to be among the best in the world
• Take advantage of paid parental leave, including for non‑birthing parents
• Join an organization working to become one of the world’s most diverse and inclusive
• Grow as you progress through diverse career opportunities in national and international teams
• Gain access to a wide range of training and development programs

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws. Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disability. Shell participates in E‑Verify. All employees are expected to support this policy and contribute to an environment of equal opportunity.