Legal Counsel, Intellectual Property

Position Title: Legal Counsel, Intellectual Property

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Position Location: Toronto HQ

Requisition ID: 27314

For us, for family!

We know the importance that food plays in people's lives – the power it has to bring people, families and communities together. Our purpose is to bring enjoyment to people’s lives through great tasting food, in a way that reflects our values.

We are recruiting for a Legal Counsel, Intellectual Property will provide strategic and day-to-day legal advice on a broad range of intellectual property, and intellectual property related, matters to internal McCain clients on a global level. This role will be based out of our Toronto office.

How You’ll Add Value:

• Serve as a strategic business partner and build strong relationships with senior leaders in R&D, Marketing and Agronomy, and become a trusted advisor.
• Provide day-to-day legal advice to address trademark, design and patent needs, and IP-related needs, of global internal McCain clients.
• Work with external counsel and other members of the IP team to provide support on a range of IP matters, including IP protection (e.g., whether by way of registration or non-registration approaches), IP enforcement, and freedom to operate searches.
• Participate in the development and deployment of IP (and IP related) policies, presentations and training company wide.
• Together with other members of the IP team, oversee and manage McCain’s Canadian and international trademark, design and patent portfolios, including internal databases to the same.
• Together with other members of the IP team, provide IP business intelligence to McCain’s senior leadership team.
• Assist in innovation related contract matters with the goal of assisting business partners to achieve their objectives while identifying and mitigating risks, including preparing, reviewing and negotiating agreements, such as non-disclosure, material transfer, joint development, collaboration and licensing agreements, with customers, suppliers, service providers and other third parties. IP Licensing and/or litigation experience are assets.
• Participate as part of a McCain cross functional team to provide IP support in plant variety licensing, marketing, IT and other commercial contracts.
• Provide IP support for strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other strategic projects.
• Work collaboratively with McCain lawyers in other regions in many aspects of daily work.
• Manage external counsel relationships, including ensuring appropriate external counsel selection and excellent work quality.

About You:

• Law Degree (JD, BCL or LLB) with a minimum 7 years’ experience in intellectual property, in private practice or a combination of private practice and in house counsel.
• Excellent skills in drafting and editing legal documents.
• Superior organizational and problem-solving skills with the ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to work under pressure, balancing multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter and ability to work effectively and autonomously.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. We see value in ensuring we have a diverse, antiracist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable workplace. As a global family-owned company we are proud to reflect the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that diversity drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

The health and safety of McCain employees and their families has been our number one priority since the start of COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccination restrictions easing across the globe we do not currently require employees to be vaccinated, but we reserve the right to change this mandate in line with health guidance and regulations in each country. Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with the Global Privacy Policy

Job Family: General & Administration
Division: Global Legal and Governance
Department: Intellectual Property
Location(s): CA - Canada : Ontario : Toronto

Company: McCain Foods (Canada)