Associate Corporate Counsel, Intellectual Property

About the Role

CFA Institute is hiring an Associate Corporate Counsel, Intellectual Property to serve as the primary day-to-day legal advisor on intellectual property matters across its global operations, with a particular emphasis on copyright and content protection. This is an individual contributor role with scope to shape processes and grow responsibilities over time. You will work closely with the IP Paralegal and outside counsel, and will play a key role in building out a new global intellectual property strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on trademarks, copyrights, licensing, brand protection, trade secrets, advertising, publishing, and related commercial matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate licenses, assignments, permissions, coexistence agreements, settlement agreements, and other documentation involving CFA Institute's intellectual property.
• Review and negotiate general commercial agreements within delegated authority to support the Legal team and business stakeholders.
• Advise Marketing, Product, Education, Research, Technology, Publishing and other teams on intellectual property risks and requirements.
• Develop guidelines, training, and governance playbooks for business partners and licensees related to IP usage, licensing, and permissions.
• Coordinate trademark clearance and routine prosecution and opposition matters with outside counsel, and provide guidance on copyright registrations, licensing, and related protection activities.
• Evaluate potential infringement matters, assess legal and business risk, and recommend potential responses.
• Advise on the intellectual property implications of artificial intelligence, digital content, emerging technologies, and new product development.
• Work collaboratively with the IP Paralegal and outside counsel to support intellectual property protection and administration.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• A Juris Doctor (JD) from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school.
• An active license to practice law in at least one US state, with eligibility for admission in Virginia.
• Significant legal experience gained in a law firm, an in-house legal department, or ideally a combination of both, with substantial experience in intellectual property law, particularly copyright.
• Demonstrated experience advising on copyright, content protection, and licensing matters.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements, in addition to intellectual property related contracts.
• Experience managing outside counsel and coordinating intellectual property prosecution and enforcement activities.
• Strong understanding of U.S. and international intellectual property laws and practices.

Nice to Have

• Trademark advisory or portfolio management experience.
• Experience advising on digital content, technology, artificial intelligence, or emerging intellectual property issues.
• Experience supporting multinational organizations.

Qualifications

• You're comfortable being the person who sometimes has to say no and can explain the reasoning behind it clearly and diplomatically.
• You're energized by building something from a fairly blank slate, there's real room to shape how intellectual property is managed here.
• You're genuinely flexible about working hours given a truly global team and global business stakeholders.