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Managing Director & Deputy Chief Counsel - Patents and Trade Secrets (Location: Austin, TX)

We are seeking an experienced intellectual property attorney to lead Schwab's enterprise patents, trade secrets, and innovation protection legal function. Reporting to the Managing Director & Chief Counsel - Technology, IP, and Contracts, this role serves as the senior legal advisor for patent strategy, trade secret governance, and intellectual property matters related to technology, AI, data, and proprietary capabilities.

As Schwab's lead attorney for patents and trade secrets, you will establish and oversee legal strategy, governance, and risk management for the firm's innovation protection program. You will advise senior business, technology, and legal leaders on patent, trade secret, defensive publication, ownership, licensing, and related IP considerations, while partnering with the Patent Office to guide its operational portfolio execution. You will also help mature scalable legal frameworks, playbooks, and processes that support innovation, protect proprietary assets, and align IP strategy with Schwab's business and technology objectives.

What You Are Good At

You will serve as Schwab's lead legal advisor for enterprise patent, trade secret, and innovation protection matters, responsible for:

• Establishing and maintaining legal strategy, governance frameworks, policies, standards, and playbooks for patents, trade secrets, defensive publication, and other innovation protection approaches.
• Advising STS/OCTO, senior Legal leadership, Finance, CVM, Information Security, and other stakeholders on IP risks and opportunities associated with technology development, AI initiatives, data platforms, vendor engagements, and strategic innovation programs.
• Developing practical decision frameworks for patent vs. trade secret vs. defensive publication determinations, portfolio prioritization, ownership, licensing, and protection of Schwab-developed inventions and proprietary technical solutions.
• Partnering with the Patent Office on patent portfolio strategy, portfolio health, invention intake, operational execution, outside counsel management, and enterprise reporting.
• Providing senior-level legal guidance on IP terms in technology, AI, data, and innovation-intensive agreements, in partnership with commercial attorneys and CVM.
• Supporting strategies for suspected trade secret misappropriation, unauthorized disclosure, patent disputes, post-grant proceedings, litigation, and other IP-related controversies, in coordination with appropriate legal, security, and compliance partners.
• Embedding patent and trade secret considerations into technology development lifecycles, AI experimentation, vendor selection, and strategic transactions.
• Educating senior leaders, technologists, business teams, and Legal partners on patent strategy, trade secret protection, and innovation-related IP risks.
• Monitoring legal, regulatory, industry, and competitive developments affecting patents, trade secrets, AI, data, and emerging technology to inform Schwab's IP strategy.
• Driving operational excellence through scalable processes, knowledge management, technology-enabled solutions, metrics, training, and enhancements to legal tools, forms, policies, and procedures.

• JD from an accredited U.S. law school. Admission to and good standing with the bar of at least one U.S. state.
• 12+ years of sophisticated patent, trade secret, and innovation-focused intellectual property legal experience at a leading law firm, in-house legal department, or a combination thereof.
• Deep expertise advising on patent strategy, trade secret protection, IP ownership, licensing, and technology-driven IP matters, including AI, data, software, and emerging technology issues.
• Experience developing or advising on patent, trade secrets, or intellectual property strategies related to blockchain, digital assets, tokenization, distributed ledger technologies, cryptocurrency, and other emerging technologies is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, technology leaders, business partners, and Legal leadership on strategic initiatives and high-risk IP matters.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to balance legal, regulatory, operational, technology, financial, and reputational considerations in a pragmatic and solutions-oriented manner.
• Experience developing and implementing legal operating models, governance frameworks, playbooks, standards, and repeatable processes for innovation-focused legal support.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with technology and innovation organizations, including on invention harvesting, patentability assessments, trade secret controls, and contractual IP protections.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal spend while achieving favorable business outcomes.
• Strong relationship-management skills as an individual contribution with a proven ability to build credibility and influence across legal, technology, finance, risk, security, vendor management, and operational functions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, superior drafting and negotiation abilities, and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage numerous priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment while maintaining sound judgment and professionalism.
• A strategic, collaborative, and business-focused approach, combined with impeccable integrity and ethical standards.
• Technical undergraduate degree or equivalent technology experience preferred. Prior in-house experience supporting patent prosecution, portfolio strategy, licensing, or enterprise IP program design preferred.