Director, Corporate Counsel Technology And Transactions

GENERAL SUMMARY:

4DMT is seeking an experienced Technology and commercial transactions attorney to support and counsel its Business Development, Manufacturing, and Research & Developmentteams, with an emphasis on drafting, negotiating, executing and managing contracts with industry partners, universities, government agencies, CROs, and other company vendors. This role sits within the 4DMT legal team and may be required to support legal needs in other parts of the business, including in G&A. The ideal candidate must be an experienced attorney, with a strong background in the bioTechnology and pharmaceutical industry and excellent business judgment and interpersonal skills. Substantive experience drafting and negotiating IP licenses, corporate partnering agreements, and contract manufacturing agreements is essential.  In depth knowledge of the drug development process, regulatory and compliance requirements, strategic partnerships, and intellectual property is strongly preferred.

In this role, the Director, Technology and Commercial Transactions will report directly to the Chief Legal and HR Officer, based out of our Emeryville, CA office.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Drafting, structuring, and negotiating agreements, including licenses, option, collaboration and development, joint venture, master services (including CRO and CMO), sponsored research, confidentiality, consulting, commercial, supply, and other agreements essential to 4DMT's business.
• Advising on the various legal risks, business strategies, and other issues related to company partnerships and collaborations and helping create mitigation strategies.
• Leading the continuous improvement of law department operations through problem solving, strategic planning, project management, process, and systems improvement (include contracts management systems), and financial/budget management, including through the implementation of new software tools.
• Assisting with development of law department policies and procedures relating to law department activities.
• Providing guidance on regulatory matters and assisting with development and implementation of compliance strategies.
• Assisting with other law department matters, including litigation support, SEC compliance and reporting, records management, due diligence, employment, immigration, and EH&S as required.
• Managing the use of outside counsel for transactions and determining which outside counsel to use taking into account cost, speed of review, and technical expertise.
• Provide legal analyses of applicable laws, regulations, and industry guidance.
• Advise internal clients regarding legal issues, including identifying, managing, and communicating risks and opportunities in commercial transactions.
• Assist with the development of standard template language to be used in contracts, ancillary documents and associated playbooks.
• Support continuous improvements of forms, policies and processes to help streamline and simplify deals and product/service terms.
• Work cross functionally across the company to analyze legal risks, devise creative solutions and develop strong, trusted advisor relationships.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• BA/BSc and JD degree or equivalent from an accredited law school required.
• PhD or MS in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or other biological field related to the biopharma industry strongly preferred.
• Admission to, and in good standing with, at least one U.S. state bar (preferably CA).

Experience:

• 8 or more years practice as an attorney, including experience at a well-regarded law firm.
• In-house experience at a publicly traded biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or biopharmaceutical company preferred.

• Experience in counseling life sciences BD teams with respect to day-to-day transactions.
• Prior experience working on intellectual property and technology related transactions preferred.
• Experience handling commercial contract disputes and dispute resolution.
• Excellent analytical skills; creative, pragmatic problem-solving abilities in a transactional context; and efficient, precise drafting of customized agreements.
• Experience working with Finance teams and managing contracts processes and policies, and using contracts lifecyle management (CLM) tools.

• Experience with life sciences technology transactions with large pharma companies.
• Strong drafting skills with keen attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical, communication and organizational skills, and demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate and manage several simultaneous projects under deadline pressure.
• Experience working with data privacy and security issues.
• Flexible mindset combined with technical knowledge and passion for innovation.
• Proven ability to provide entrepreneurial, quick-thinking, pragmatic, business- oriented advice and to properly balance risks and business reward with a dedication to superior customer service.
• Ability to triage a heavy workflow, setting appropriate expectations with internal clients and delivering results efficiently and effectively.

Skills:

• Knowledge of current and relevant laws, regulations and industry standards, including intellectual property law.
• Service-oriented focus with ability to work as part of cross-functional teams and drive results.
• Highest integrity, excellent judgment, and the ability to proactively recognize and effectively communicate legal issues to the Chief Legal and HR Officer and other members of company management.

Minimum:

Maximum:

Bay Area Range

National Range: