Senior Intellectual Property Counsel

Senior Intellectual Property Counsel

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience and potential you could bring to CHANEL.

About the role:

Chanel, Inc. is seeking a highly skilled Senior Intellectual Property Counsel to join our US Legal Department.  This role is pivotal in creating and implementing strategies and objectives, managing trademark disputes and litigations, supporting trademark clearances and prosecution as well as managing the Legal Anti-Diversion team and collaborating with stakeholders to enforce Anti-Diversion policies and procedures necessary to protect the brand.  This exciting position will play a key role in all things trademark and brand protection.

What impact you can create at CHANEL:

 Intellectual Property:

• Managing U.S. Intellectual Property disputes. This includes the following responsibilities:
  • Draft and review cease and desist letters and other correspondence relating to IP infringements;
  • Prepare opposition notices and cancellation petitions for USPTO;
  • Negotiate, draft and revise settlement agreements;
  • Manage international TM disputes and partner with US Head of Intellectual Property and global team to create universal strategy, implement the strategy in the US; and
  • Manage relationships and case expectations with outside counsel handling TTAB proceedings and various intellectual property infringement matters.
• Create and implement IP strategies and objectives that align with global and regional priorities.
• Prosecute Trademark applications, including assisting in trademark clearance searches, advise Trademark Manager on responses to USPTO office actions and renewals.
• Advise key stakeholders on topics regarding copyright, patent, domain name and trade secret.
• Partner with the US Legal corporate team to prepare, draft and negotiate commercial contracts, as needed.
• People management: manage the senior paralegal including creating priorities and associated responsibilities for this role.

Anti-Diversion:

• Develop, define, and implement strategies to achieve program objectives.
• Plan, organize, and direct the operations of the program.
• Align program objectives with Chanel’s long-term vision for the Brand.
• Set and review KPIs to meet program objectives.
• Develop and implement strategies to maximize commercial and legal actions.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to enforce policies, mitigate diversion, and protect Chanel’s authorized distribution.
• Partner with Global Anti-Diversion in the worldwide execution of the program.
• Develop and issue US reporting to Leadership and Senior Management.
• Develop and implement educational resources to increase program knowledge and efficiency.
• Manage the program budget to maximize cost effectiveness.
• Manage the Legal Anti-Diversion team.

You are energized by:

• Working in a highly collaborative environment, building relationships with stakeholders at all levels and across all divisions and in operations
• Representing Chanel on trade association task forces and committees
• Collaborating with global counterparts as to trademark matters with global implications
• Practicing US Trademark law and other areas of Intellectual Property
• Leading and developing a team
• Delivering deadlines and accountabilities
• Continuously looking out for new opportunities to improve processes
• Succeeding in a dynamic, results oriented environment

What you will bring to the team:

• JD from an accredited Law school.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in the trademark area handling trademark prosecution matters, clearance searches, proceedings in the USPTO and abroad, and US litigations.  Law firm experience preferred.
• Deep understanding of intellectual property law, primarily focusing on trademarks with some copyright and patent knowledge
• Strong organizational skills and attention to details.
• Clear and concise communications skills, excellent interpersonal skills and creative thinking.
• Tech-savvy, including proficiency with cloud-based document and database systems.
• Ability to work proactively, independently and reliably on multiple projects, under tight time frames in a fast-paced environment.
• This position is considered partially remote and requires a minimum of three days in-person office presence in our New York City Office.

*Chanel, Inc. reserves the right to edit, change, or make exceptions on designations where circumstances where deemed appropriate.

Compensation:

• The anticipated base salary range for this position is $134,900 through $185,000. Base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other forms of variable pay [may/will] be offered for this position. Other components [may/will] include bonus potential, benefits, and/or perks.

Benefits and Perks:

• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing (including a 2-week August Office Closure)
• Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, MilkStork, and Care.com Membership)
• Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days
• 401K and other incentives
• Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program
• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking

Additional Information:

Chanel is a private company whose values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth. This is reflected in:

Diversity and Inclusion:

• At CHANEL, we are intentional in promoting Diversity & Inclusion. We foster respect, empathy and dignity for all.  We believe strongly that the diversity of our people across the full spectrum of human differences is essential to our organisation and the connections we have with each other and our clients.
• We offer Employee Resource Groups in the US that are voluntary, open to all, employee-led groups formed around a shared identity or lived experience, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community aligned with the values and missions of the communities they support.

Chanel Community:

• CHANEL Community empowers our employees to channel their passions, talents and sense of purpose to contribute to and learn from our communities.
• Employees are encouraged to take time off annually to volunteer through CHANEL Community. CHANEL also matches employee donations to select charitable organizations.

Sustainability:

• CHANEL Mission 1.5° is our climate action plan. It is focused on transforming the business in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the average global mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
• Employees are encouraged to contribute to our US Sustainability efforts at the corporate level and within the divisions, through organized taskforces and initiatives.

Arts and Culture:

• We are committed to extending our legacy of cultural engagement. Global support includes the CHANEL Culture Fund, which supports a select group of leading art culture institutions across the globe, and the CHANEL Next Prize for the next generation of creative talent.  US support currently includes Annual sponsorship of the MoMA film program, Tribeca Film Festival programs and Through Her Lens, Support of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women and Sponsorship of the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center.

Fondation Chanel:

• Since 2011, Fondation CHANEL’s mission is for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny.  Through multi-year partnerships with financial and technical support, Fondation CHANEL is committed to improving the safety and autonomy of women and adolescent girls around the world, impacting over a million women and girls in its first 10 years.    
• For more information, please navigate to the Fondation Chanel website here  

Career and Leadership Development:

• We have dedicated in-house teams focused on supporting the onboarding of employees, developing leadership skills via custom programs like Imagine Chanel People, Heart of Leadership and group and individual coaching, and blended online and live classes offered on our Bloom platform and by skilled trainers, such as Shape Your Career, to develop career building skills.

*Chanel, Inc. benefits and perks are dependent on eligibility and subject to modification by Chanel at any time.