ABB Ltd

Senior Intellectual Property (IP) Attorney

ABB Ltd$142K — $237K *
Cary, NC 27513In-Person
Legal & Accounting
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school; active license to practice in at least one U.S. state; USPTO registration required.
  • 6+ years of broad intellectual property experience, including patent drafting and prosecution, trademarks, IP agreements, and opinion work; law firm and in-house experience preferred.
  • Bachelor's degree with a technical background aligned to relevant technologies (e.g., electrification, industrial systems, robotics, or automation).
  • Demonstrated experience in patent portfolio management, trademark counseling, and drafting/negotiating complex IP agreements.
  • Proven ability to collaborate with senior business and technical leaders, manage projects, deliver actionable IP strategies, and balance risk with business objectives.
  • Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills; strong interpersonal effectiveness; highly organized, self-driven, and able to quickly learn new technologies while managing multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

  • Lead decision-making and implementation of patent portfolio management for designated ABB technology/division.
  • Provide trademark prosecution, enforcement, and portfolio strategy support, including counseling business stakeholders on brand protection initiatives.
  • Offer legal guidance on copyright issues including disputes, licensing, and fair use regarding AI and technology matters.
  • Draft, negotiate, and advise on various IP-related agreements and clauses in business transactions.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure optimal IP support for business stakeholders.
  • Communicate complex IP data accurately to business partners and provide necessary training on various IP topics.

Benefits

  • Choice between two medical plan options: a PPO plan or a High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account.
  • Choice between two dental plan options: Core and Core Plus, along with a vision benefit.
  • Company paid life and AD&D insurance, along with short and long-term disability coverage.
  • Paid parental leave and an Employee Assistance Program for mental/behavioral health support.
  • 401k Savings Plan with Company Contributions and an Employee Stock Acquisition Plan.
Full Job Description
This position reports to:
Head of IP, US

The work model for the role is: Remote #LI-Onsite

Your role and responsibilities:

ABB is looking for a senior level IP attorney to join our US IP Legal team, reporting to the Head of IP for US. The successful candidate will be responsible for a wide variety of complex intellectual property matters covering new and existing product offerings, in support of a variety of business stakeholders across ABB. This IP attorney will partner closely with other members of the global IP Legal team, General Legal and other functions of the company as needed, providing strategic advice to technology and business leaders, with a goal of minimizing IP risks for ABB while advancing business goals and initiatives.

You will be mainly accountable for:
  • Patent Portfolio Management: For a designated ABB technology/division, lead the decision-making process and implementation of invention disclosure harvesting, patent application drafting, prosecution, subsequent filing decisions, portfolio pruning and portfolio IP strategy, doing so by working closely with ABB inventors, technology leaders and outside IP counsel
  • Trademark Counseling: Provide support for trademark prosecution, enforcement, and portfolio strategy including brand protection initiatives. Counsel business stakeholders on brand protection initiatives. Negotiate license and coexistence agreements
  • Copyright Counseling: Providing guidance on copyright topics such as copyright disputes, licensing, strategy and legal issues such as fair use and AI related topics.
  • IP Agreements & Other IP Work: Draft, negotiate and advise on a variety of IP related agreements and clauses regarding IP ownership, IP indemnity and more, in general business transactions as well as strategic partnerships, university partnerships, joint development, licensing, software licensing. Learn and build skills regarding Freedom to Operate / Risk Assessments (counsel the company on what they can do considering 3rd party IP), IP Support to M&A projects, and other IP topics as they arise. Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams of ABB (e.g., General Legal, product management, sales, marketing, business IP coordinators) to jointly provide optimal IP services to business stakeholders. Communicate with business stakeholders ensuring accuracy of complex IP data, strong presentation skills and strong relationship skills with business partners. Provide training to the business community as needed, on a variety of IP topics

Qualifications for the role:
  • Education & Licensing: Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school; active license to practice in at least one U.S. state; USPTO registration required.
  • IP Law Experience: 6+ years of broad intellectual property experience, including patent drafting and prosecution, trademarks, IP agreements, and opinion work; law firm and in-house experience preferred.
  • Technical Expertise: Bachelor's degree with a technical background aligned to relevant technologies (e.g., electrification, industrial systems, robotics, or automation).
  • Core IP Practice Strengths: Demonstrated experience in patent portfolio management, trademark counseling, and drafting/negotiating complex IP agreements (including ownership, licensing, and joint development).
  • Business Partnership & Execution: Proven ability to collaborate with senior business and technical leaders, manage projects, deliver actionable IP strategies, and balance risk with business objectives.
  • Key Competencies: Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills; strong interpersonal effectiveness; highly organized, self-driven, and able to quickly learn new technologies while managing multiple priorities.
  • Candidates must already have work authorization that would permit them to work for ABB in the US.

More about us:

ABB Motion provides pioneering technology, products, solutions and related services to industrial customers to increase energy efficiency, improve safety and reliability, and maintain precise control over processes. The portfolio includes motors, generators and drives for a wide range of applications in all industrial sectors.

What's in it for you

We want you to bring your full self to work-your ideas, your energy, your ambition. You'll have the tools and freedom to grow your skills, shape your path, and take on challenges that matter. Here, your work creates impact you can see and feel, every day.

While base salary is determined by things such as the successful applicant's qualifications and experience, this position is expected to pay between $142,500 and $237,500 annually and is eligible for a short-term incentive plan/annual bonus.

ABB Benefit Summary for eligible US employees

Go to MyBenefitsABB.com and click on "Candidate/Guest" to learn more

Health, Life & Disability
  • Choice between two medical plan options: A PPO plan called the Copay Plan OR a High Deductible Health Plan (with a Health Savings Account) called the High Deductible Plan.
  • Choice between two dental plan options: Core and Core Plus
  • Vision benefit
  • Company paid life insurance (2X base pay)
  • Company paid AD&D (1X base pay)
  • Voluntary life and AD&D - 100% employee paid up to maximums
  • Short Term Disability - up to 26 weeks - Company paid
  • Long Term Disability - 60% of pay - Company paid. Ability to "buy-up" to 66 2/3% of pay.
  • Supplemental benefits - 100% employee paid (Accident insurance, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Health Advocate support resources for mental/behavioral health, general health navigation and virtual health, and infertility/adoption
  • Employee discount program

Retirement
  • 401k Savings Plan with Company Contributions
  • Employee Stock Acquisition Plan (ESAP)

Time off

ABB provides 11 paid holidays. Salaried exempt positions are provided vacation under a permissive time away policy.

#ABBCareers

#RunwithABB

#Runwhatrunstheworld

About ABB Ltd

ABB Ltd is a Swiss multinational corporation that specializes in electrical equipment. The company was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. ABB operates in a variety of industries, including power generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as automation and robotics. The company's products and services are used in a range of applications, from electric vehicles to renewable energy systems. ABB has a global presence, with operations in more than 100 countries. The company is committed to sustainability and has set ambitious targets for reducing its environmental impact.
Learn more about ABB Ltd
Size
104,400 employees
Market Cap
$59.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
$5.1 billion
Founded
1988
5 Year Trend
+3%
Revenue
$26.1 billion
NASDAQ

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