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Intellectual Property Attorney

Position Purpose:

The attorney will work closely and in coordination with the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, and will be primarily responsible for the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications for selected technology areas.  The attorney will also be responsible for a variety of other intellectual property needs based on the attorney’s increasing experience and familiarity with Amyris technology.  The attorney must be capable of working closely with the AMYRIS research group to provide counsel and advice on various intellectual property issues, and work closely with other functional groups within Amyris, so that the attorney can assess Amyris and client needs and goals in order to provide the necessary counsel and advice for the protection of Amyris’s intellectual property assets.

Major Responsibilities/Accountabilities:

• Prepare and prosecute patent applications (U.S. and foreign) with little or no supervision
• Develop close working relationships with Amyris scientists to provide counsel and advice on various intellectual property issues, such as patentability, inventorship, freedom to operate, and the like
• Educate clients in various areas of intellectual property law, such as patent law basics, laboratory notebook practices, protection of confidential information and trade secrets, and the like
• Analyze third party rights which may impact Amyris and/or its intellectual property rights, strategies and technologies
• Identify scientific and technical issues that could impact future patent strategies
• Keep abreast of current state of the art in the responsible areas of technology
• Review proposed publications in advance of disclosure to identify patentable subject matter for preparation of patent application(s).
• Identify and protect Amyris trade secrets.
• Keep abreast of changes in US and foreign patent laws and practice
• Provide intellectual property support to, and work closely with, the Amyris business development group and corporate counsel as needed, such as with the assessment of business development opportunities, licensing, and the like
• Develop an understanding of Amyris’s business, technology, and interests so as to provide effective and balanced intellectual property law and other legal advice.

Knowledge/Skill Requirements

• A JD degree and admission to a state bar, preferably California, is required.  The candidate must also be licensed to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• M.S. or Ph.D in polymer chemistry or a similar field
• Industrial experience in preparations, formulations or applications of polymers is preferred
• Three (3) to five (5) years of experience in patent preparation and prosecution, preferably at least two years in a law firm experience
• Must be proficient in performing searches of CAS databases
• Ability to assist corporate counsel in the drafting of research-related agreements (such as material transfer agreements, research and collaboration agreements, and technology licenses) is desirable
• The candidate should have strong written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to communicate concisely with clients, to integrate legal and scientific knowledge and to provide balanced advice regarding intellectual property law issues

To apply, send your resume and a cover letter to hr@amyris.com with reference code IP10-002 in the subject line.