Senior Counsel - Risk & Enforcement

Overview

This role, Senior Counsel, Risk & Enforcement, reports to the VP, Deputy General Counsel, and Head of Intellectual Property in the Legal department. It serves as a strategic, trusted advisor on intellectual property disputes and software enforcement matters, with an emphasis on risk prevention, litigation readiness, evidence development, and effective resolution.

In addition to IP, this position manages and supports complex vendor, partner, competitor, and third-party disputes involving software, technology, confidentiality, licensing, or business conduct issues. The role is not expected to own employment litigation or routine customer litigation, though support may be provided when those matters involve IP, technology, trade secrets, software enforcement, preservation, discovery, or related issues within the role’s subject matter.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for intellectual property and technology-related disputes, including trade secret, patent, copyright, open source, software licensing, and related claims.
• Serve as the dedicated legal partner for significant software and technology disputes, partnering with product management, engineering, security, services, and business teams to translate technical facts into legal strategy.
• Develop, implement, and maintain litigation prevention and readiness frameworks, including early risk identification, legal holds, preservation, evidence collection, technical fact development, and escalation of material disputes.
• Lead internal investigations and pre-litigation assessments involving potential IP misuse, trade secret concerns, software licensing, customer usage, vendor conduct, and other technical disputes.
• Advise on and lead customer license compliance and enforcement matters, including usage reviews, audit rights, demand strategy, negotiations, escalation decisions, and resolution structures.
• Advise on and manage disputes with vendors, partners, competitors, and other third parties involving software, technology, intellectual property, confidentiality, or performance issues.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to strengthen documentation, development practices, access controls, and other measures that support IP and trade secret protection and future evidentiary needs.
• Manage outside counsel, experts, e-discovery providers, and other litigation vendors, including strategy, staffing, budgets, alternative fee arrangements, and performance.
• Work with Legal Operations and other stakeholders to improve discovery readiness, information governance, legal hold administration, evidence management, and repeatable litigation workflows.
• Advise senior leadership on material disputes, enforcement decisions, litigation exposure, settlement strategy, and business risk; present recommendations clearly and practically.
• Monitor and analyze developments in litigation, trade secret law, software licensing enforcement, e-discovery, and other technology-related legal areas; translate developments into actionable guidance.
• Develop and deliver legal training and practical resources for legal, product, engineering, security, sales, and business teams on litigation readiness, trade secrets, documentation, preservation, and dispute prevention.
• Take on leadership of matters and workstreams across the full scope of the risk and enforcement function as needed, driving cross-functional process improvements, readiness, and legal policy initiatives.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school required.
• Must be in good standing with at least one State Bar.
• Minimum of 10 years of total experience, including at least 5 years in a law firm litigation position, with meaningful in-house experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience managing intellectual property or technology-related disputes, including meaningful experience with software, trade secret, copyright, patent, licensing, or open source matters.
• Deep knowledge of and hands-on experience with litigation strategy, internal investigations, preservation, discovery, expert development, settlement analysis, and outside counsel management.
• Demonstrated experience developing litigation readiness, dispute prevention, trade secret protection, or enforcement programs before claims are filed.
• Deep technical fluency in software and related technologies; ability to engage substantively with engineers and product managers and translate technical concepts into legal and litigation risk analysis.
• Experience with software license compliance and enforcement, and with customer or vendor disputes including practical and commercial considerations.
• Demonstrated senior leadership capability, including the ability to set strategic direction, influence at the executive level, and lead complex cross-functional matters across a broad legal portfolio.
• Ability to clearly articulate and defend risk analysis; critically examine business practices to ensure alignment with legal requirements; and provide practical advice regarding business risk.
• Proven team player and consensus builder with a business approach to law.
• Flexible self-starter and proactive problem solver capable of working autonomously and handling significant client contact.
• Effective written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present information and respond to questions from executives, managers, customers, and employees.
• Diplomatic, approachable, and able to exercise sound business and personal judgment.
• Ability to manage conflicting demands from multiple business clients in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills; ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
• Ability to act with the highest integrity and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications

• Engineering, computer science, or other relevant technical degree preferred, along with experience in software and/or other high technology industries.

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual salary range: $112,500.00 - $151,875.00 gross before taxes.
• Unlimited Vacation Time, plus paid holidays and sick time.
• Health and wellness coverage options for employees and dependents.
• Life and disability coverage.
• Fidelity 401(k) and Roth Retirement Savings with matching contributions.
• Monthly student debt benefit program.
• Tuition Reimbursement and Certificate Reimbursement Program opportunities.
• Leadership and skills training opportunities.

Location

USA

Additional Information

• Information security is everyone's responsibility; all individuals are expected to protect company information and IT resources within their control according to their role.
• Reasonable accommodation is available for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.
• Background and reference checks are included in the hiring process.
• EOE M/F/Vet/Disability. Equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status; and in compliance with fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.
• In accordance with Massachusetts law, it is unlawful to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment.