Senior IP Counsel – Materials Group

Avery Dennison · Mentor, OH, United States

  • Senior
  • Full-time
  • $180,000 – $270,000
  • Posted 2026-08-26
  • Confirmed live on 25 September 2026

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Job description

Job Description
Location: Mentor, OH (Hybrid preferred; remote work will be considered for qualified non-local candidates.)

Reporting to: Vice President & Associate General Counsel, Global M&A and Intellectual Property

Avery Dennison is seeking a Senior IP Counsel for its Materials Group business. The candidate should be well-versed in corporate IP strategy, domestic and international IP procurement, enforcement/litigation, due diligence/clearance, business counseling, and transactional support. This position will work closely with the company's technology and innovation leadership teams, as well as regional directors of R&D, Marketing, and Procurement. The candidate will need a background that permits him/her to provide direct, hands-on legal leadership for core material science platforms, pressure-sensitive adhesives, functional coatings, and digital identification technologies.
A successful Senior IP Counsel will be expected to:
Global IP Strategy & Commercial Alignment

• Drive and execute a global IP strategy aligned with core business growth, high-margin product platforms, and expansion in key international markets.

• Counsel business leaders on portfolio optimization, patents vs trade secrets, trademarks, and open-source models to maximize ROI and market protection.

• Manage, allocate, and optimize global IP budgets and external legal spend.

Portfolio Development & IP Lifecycle Management

• Oversee end-to-end global patent procurement (drafting, PCT/foreign filings, prosecution) to build strong, defensible IP fences around key platforms.

• Guide, challenge, and triage R&D inventions to ensure high-value filing decisions and strong alignment with technology roadmaps.

• Execute offensive and defensive IP strategies, including competitive surveillance, EPO oppositions, and third-party observations.

Freedom to Operate (FTO), Risk Mitigation and Disputes

• Conduct rigorous patentability, validity, and Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) analyses to clear new product launches and minimize infringement risks.

• Advise executive leadership and stakeholders on legal risks regarding patenting, commercial readiness, and contractual exposure.

• Manage IP litigation, adversarial proceedings, and dispute resolution in close coordination with outside counsel and internal business partners.

Complex Commercial Transactions & M&A

• Structure, draft, and negotiate complex IP and technology transactions, including Joint Development Agreements, inbound/outbound licensing, strategic vendor contracts, and research collaborations.

• Lead IP due diligence and risk assessment for M&A, joint ventures, and venture investments.

Cross Functional Leadership & Enablement

• Act as an embedded legal partner to R&D, Commercial, Procurement, and Business Development teams, integrating IP guidance early into product development.

• Design and deliver IP training programs for cross-functional staff on IP best practices, invention disclosures, and trade secret protection.

• Mentor, integrate, and leverage global internal IP resources, external agents, and foreign counsel.

Qualifications
General Qualifications:

• Superior understanding of, and ability to take and manage risk.

• Strong business acumen, and ability to connect the law and legal strategies to business goals in a way that guides clients to successful outcomes.

• Excellent grasp of finance and budgeting concepts.

• Demonstrated ability to lead.
Education and Credentials:

• A technical degree (B.S., M.S., or Ph.D.) in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering,

• Polymer Science, Physical Chemistry, or Mechanical Engineering is required. Deep technical familiarity with

• pressure-sensitive adhesives, self-adhesive label stock, films (functional and/or graphic wrapping), polymers

• or surface/coating technology is strongly preferred.

• A law degree (J.D.), registration with the USPTO, and admission to the Bar in at least one U.S. state in good

• standing are also required.
Required Experience:

• 15+ years of dedicated patent and legal experience (including at least 3+ years in an in-house corporate law

• department supporting industrial materials, chemicals, roll-to-roll processing or advanced manufacturing),

• including strong business counseling and strategy, transactions, patent drafting and prosecution, freedom to

• operate opinions, and litigation.

• Demonstrated experience with international patent practice (PCT, EPO, CNIPA) and post-grant opposition

• proceedings (especially EPO oppositions).

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated experience in collaboration with global

• teams, including the ability to communicate across regional and cultural boundaries.

• Robust transactional experience (including complex JDAs, licenses, partnering and strategic sourcing

• agreements)
Preferred Experience:

• Litigation and patent opposition/invalidation experience.

• Experience with RFID, digital identification, smart

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