Senior Manager - Patent Counsel

Adidas

flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid holidays, flex time, 401(k)

United States, Oregon, Portland

Sep 04, 2025

Purpose: Responsible for counseling the adidas business on patent and related matters and to enhance the patent portfolio of adidas.

Key Responsibilities:

Supporting the management of the Company's patent portfolios, including the management of the external law firms responsible for the filing and prosecution.
Developing close positive relationships through daily contact with the Innovation Teams with respect to patent matters.
Patent clearance.
Development of prior art resources.
Patent watching, in particular competitor patents.
Supporting marketing and design departments with respect to patent matters.
Counseling with respect to patent matters.
Assisting management of outside counsel.
Assisting management of patent-related litigation including oversight of outside counsel.

Key Relationships:

Internally - Research and Development groups, Marketing and Design groups, Intellectual Property department.
Externally - outside counsel (US and international)

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact with clients at all levels from most senior to most junior, but especially with the Innovation Teams.
Strong written and verbal communications skills required.
Ability to work independently in area of expertise.
Strong team player.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (focus on Europe and Asia).

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

Engineering Degree with a preference for mechanical engineering background
Law degree, preferably with bar admission.
Patent bar admission.
2-3 years law firm or in-house experience practicing in patents, including patent prosecution.
Preferably experience with multinational companies.

adidas offers robust and progressive medical, including HSA (Health Savings Account) with employer funding or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) options, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, adoption, with surrogate and fertility support, short and long-term disability, and basic life and AD&D insurance, which can be supplemented with employee-paid coverage. Employees are able to enroll in adidas' 401k plan and Stock Purchase Plan with employer match. Full-time employees are eligible for education assistance and generous Leave policies including 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
Employees are eligible to earn an annual bonus based on both company and personal performance. Employees accrue prorated flexible time off in the amount .4388 hours per day that increases with years of service, twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year and Service Time Off during milestone years.
We officially returned to office in a hybrid work environment, working 3 days in office and 2 days remote. The working location of this position is Portland, Oregon.
Though our teammates hail from all corners of the world, our working language is English.