Associate Director Trademark Legal Counsel

Company Overview:
Unilever is one of the world’s leading fast-moving consumer goods companies. Our products are sold in over 190 countries, and, on any given day, 3.4 billion consumers worldwide use them. We own some of the best known and best loved brands, including Axe, Cif, Comfort, Dermalogica, Dove, Hellmann’s, Horlicks, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Paula’s Choice, Persil, TRESemmé and Vaseline.

In order to unlock our full potential and accelerate business performance, Unilever has set out a Growth Action Plan. It outlines the steps we are taking to deliver faster growth, drive productivity and simplicity, and dial up our performance culture.  Our 30 Power Brands are front and centre of our Growth Action Plan, as is unmissable brand superiority across the 6Ps, as well as science and technology.

Our focus in Legal is on high impact strategic business partnering, leveraging and strengthening our legal expertise whilst continuing to expand the powerhouses and focus on digital transformation.

Unilever's legal team has recently been awarded Most Innovative In-House Legal Team in Europe and In-House Legal Team.  We are at the forefront of innovation and digitalization with GenAI tools, data and Powerhouses shaping the future of how we work.  

Job Purpose:

The role of the Legal Group is to protect Unilever and help it to win by providing objective advice and creative legal solutions. 

As Associate Director Trademark Legal Counsel, you will report directly to a newly created role of Head of Trademarks & Brand Protection based in London and will be an integral member of the global IP team.  You will work closely with IP colleagues around the world, as well as the Head of IP Operations, Head of Patents and Group Chief IP Officer.    

As Senior Trademark Counsel, you will provide comprehensive IP advice, risk management support and creative legal solutions to the business, with a focus on all aspects of global trademark portfolio management and enforcement, M&A, copyright, music, contract drafting and negotiation, domain name registrations, recoveries and acquisitions, as well as global litigation and negotiation.  Whilst the role will not have responsibility for designs, the candidate is expected to understand the principles around design rights and other ancillary IP rights, such as patents, know-how and trade secrets and to support on licensing, sponsorship and other marketing related agreements insofar as brand IP rights are concerned.   

You will also work with other lawyers and functional experts on other areas such as licensing, litigation, competition law, privacy, data and digital.  Close collaboration with global and NA lawyers across the business is a core part of the role.  You will be part of the NA legal community comprising a dynamic group of lawyers.

Core Responsibilities:

As a member of the global Trademark team, you will work with regional IP colleagues and other key stakeholders, as well as our external law firm partners and will be responsible for:

• Strategy: developing and implementing global and regional trademark strategies for the Power brands for which you are responsible in line with the business strategy and GAP. 
• Protection and Maintenance: all aspects of global trademark prosecution, including conducting global clearance searches, preparing global risk assessments for new and existing brands, opposition, cancellations, invalidity and other relevant trademark proceedings; advising on ancillary IP issues in brand campaigns (including copyright and music clearance and other forms of IP rights); managing global filing, maintenance and watching programs
• Enforcement: defensive and offensive IP disputes in N. America, including trademark and copyright infringements, unfair competition, passing off and infringement claims, including the preparation and review of pre-action letters, pleadings, witness statements and collation of supporting evidence, as well as conducting settlement negotiations.
• Brand Protection:  strategic advice and support on anti-counterfeiting and illicit trade enforcement activities, customs and law enforcement strategies, and expert guidance to our brand protection and legal colleagues on diversion issues.
• Commercial Contracts: drafting and negotiating agreements and other contracts in relation to Unilever’s and third parties’ IP, including licensing agreements, sponsorship and partnership agreements.
• M&A: advising on M&A activities, including due diligence, remediation strategies and integration, and post-closing activities.
• Domain Names: trade mark related domain name issues, domain name recoveries
• Business Partnering: acting as a  trusted business partner and provide timely, pro-ac