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GSK

Patent Counsel - Biotech

Stevenage, United Kingdom

Site Name: UK - Hertfordshire - Stevenage
Posted Date: Jan 15 2021
Are you a finals standard or newly qualified Patent Attorney with a biotech background seeking a new role within industry? If so, we would love to hear from you!

This a rare opportunity to work at the heart of a science-led, global healthcare company - interacting directly with business leaders and clients, with the ability to influence the overall IP strategy.

The Role: Patent Counsel (recently qualified or finals standard)

With patient focus, integrity, respect for people and transparency underpinning our activities, we research and develop a broad range of innovative products in the primary areas of Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. By bringing to market novel medicines, our mission is to help millions of people across the world to do more, feel better and live longer. Our Intellectual Property department plays an integral role in realising our mission by protecting our R&D investment and IP assets. The IP group provides proactive support via patent teams to research sites in Europe and US, working collaboratively with scientists and senior managers in a change-orientated, entrepreneurial and fast-moving culture. If you can help protect our interests as part of GSK IP, we'll look after yours. Our investment in training, development and learning opportunities will empower you to be the best you can be, and we'll make sure you have a stimulating and diverse role that will enable you develop your expertise as you create value for GSK. This means you'll be involved in everything from filing and prosecuting patent applications to secure exclusivity for our R&D investments, to evaluating and mitigating risks to our IP through opposition and litigation, for performing due diligence on proposed business transactions, educating client businesses on sound legal practices, negotiating legal agreements with internal and external parties, and proactively helping to confront legal risks facing GSK.

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Over the last ten years the legal and scientific world have changed and become significantly more complex. We are faced with IP considerations around new markets, new technologies, new challenges to our license to operate, new laws and new types of competition. Come join us as we help people do more, feel better and live longer!

Your responsibilities:
  • You will be responsible for filing and prosecuting patent applications to secure exclusivity for our R&D investments and advising on the interplay between patents and non-patent exclusivity,
  • You will work directly with clients within the GSK business and communicate with patent offices and foreign agents
  • You will provide legal advice and influence internal clients in order to avert legal risks, by proposing creative, strategic IP advice
  • You will be responsible for analysing FTO issues and complex third party situations.
  • You will have an awareness of developing case law, and be able to apply that to drafting and prosecution practice
  • You will work on teams responsible for evaluating and mitigating risks to our IP through opposition and litigation,
  • You will provide support to Business Development for both in and out-licensing opportunities, including performing due diligence on proposed business transactions and negotiating legal agreements with internal and external parties.

Basic qualifications:
  • Finals standard (part qualified, with at least pre-EQE) or qualified Patent Attorney (EPA and/or CPA or equivalent national qualification)
  • Degree in life sciences, biology, biochemistry or similar

Preferred qualifications:
  • PhD in life sciences
  • Prior experience within pharmaceutical industry
  • Experience in drafting and/or prosecuting biopharmaceutical patent applications
  • Comfortable working as part of a team
  • Strong interpersonal, negotiating, analytical and problem-solving skills


As a company driven by our values of Patient focus, Transparency, Respect and Integrity, we know inclusion and diversity are essential for us to be able to succeed. We want all our colleagues to thrive at GSK bringing their unique experiences, ensuring they feel good and to keep growing their careers. As a candidate for a role, we want you to feel the same way.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are open to all talent. In the US, we also adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race/ethnicity, colour, national origin, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class(US only).

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

Please don't hesitate to contact us if you'd like to discuss any adjustments to our process which might help you demonstrate your strengths and capabilities. You can either call us on 0808 234 4391, or send an email ukdiversity.recruitment@gsk.com

As you apply, we will ask you to share some personal information which is entirely voluntary. We want to have an opportunity to consider a diverse pool of qualified candidates and this information will assist us in meeting that objective and in understanding how well we are doing against our inclusion and diversity ambitions. We would really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it. Rest assured, Hiring Managers do not have access to this information and we will treat your information confidentially.

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GSK does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact GSK's commercial and general procurement/human resources department to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to GSK. The obtaining of prior written authorization is a condition precedent to any agreement (verbal or written) between the employment business/ agency and GSK. In the absence of such written authorization being obtained any actions undertaken by the employment business/agency shall be deemed to have been performed without the consent or contractual agreement of GSK. GSK shall therefore not be liable for any fees arising from such actions or any fees arising from any referrals by employment businesses/agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site.

Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, GSK may be required to capture and report expenses GSK incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure GSK's compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements. For more information, please visit GSK's Transparency Reporting For the Record site.

Job ID: glaxo-253945-en-us
Employment Type: Other

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