Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Commercial Litigation (on-site)

Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Commercial Litigation

About the role:

The Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Commercial Litigation provide strategic legal guidance across a broad range of intellectual property matters and commercial disputes.  This position involves working closely with the Merchandise team and other business partners to provide legal advice, brand protection, and training and business solutions for intellectual property and product related matters. The Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Commercial Litigation also manage the defense of certain commercial litigation, including intellectual property and consumer class action litigation.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Product & Brand Clearance

  • Review product names, packaging, labeling, and marketing materials to identify and mitigate intellectual property risks

  • Work with outside counsel as necessary for in-depth product clearance

  • Advise business teams on potential infringement issues and recommend compliant, protectable branding strategies

• Trademark Portfolio Management

  • Manage a portfolio of private label trademarks across the U.S., Canada, and China, including clearance, prosecution, maintenance, and enforcement

  • Partner with outside counsel on domestic and international trademark matters

• IP Enforcement, Claims, and Dispute Management

  • Receive, evaluate, and respond to claims of alleged intellectual property infringement

  • Develop practical resolution strategies, including negotiation and risk mitigation

  • Manage intellectual property litigation

  • Coordinate with outside counsel to address infringing uses of our brands, including unauthorized URLs, online marketplace listings, and social media activity

• Cross-Functional Guidance & Training

  • Advise Merchandise team on intellectual property fundamentals and risk awareness

  • Provide guidance on appropriate use of vendor-supplied artwork, packaging, and creative assets, including risks associated with reuse or modification

  • Support best practices in vendor transitions to avoid improper use of prior vendor materials

• Regulatory & Product Compliance Support

  • Identify and advise on potential product-related risks, including matters within the scope of the Consumer Product Safety Commission

  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders on labeling, safety, and compliance considerations

• Patent & Technical IP Coordination

  • Work with outside counsel to assess patent-related risks associated with products

  • Facilitate product reviews and obtain guidance on potential exposure and mitigation strategies

• Commercial Litigation

  • Actively manage certain commercial disputes, including pre-litigation and active litigation

  • Select and actively monitor outside counsel to ensure effective case handling, with an emphasis on efficiency and cost consciousness  

Your Required Skills and Experience:

• Education:  Juris Doctorate

• Experience:   7-10+ years of relevant intellectual property experience, with a focus on trademarks, and commercial litigation experience.  Retail experience is preferred

• Licenses:  Bar membership and in good standing with at least one state and eligible to be issued a Virginia Corporate Counsel Certificate, if not a member of the VA Bar

• Work environment: Ability to work in an office environment 40+ work hours per week with occasional travel.

Job Related Skills: 

• Excellent communication skills are critical to the job function- communicating with and building relationships with internal business partners, vendors, and outside.  Part of this communication is imploring good judgment.

• Strong analytical, problem- solving, multi-tasking and prioritization capabilities

• Capacity to operate both strategically and tactically as needed

• Attention to detail and accuracy

 
Computer Skills:  Intermediate to advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office desktop applications, inclusive of Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.  Exposure to web-based applications including web forms, portals and workflow tools.

Start Rate = $175,000-$205,500 based on experience plus 25% bonus and equity. 

The company offers Health, Dental, & Vision, a flexible spending account, life and disability insurance benefits, a 401k plan, PTO, paid holidays annually, and an employee stock purchase plan. 

Our success is a team effort —

when we reach our goals, you’ll be eligible for a yearly bonus!

Your Perks and Benefits:
We offer a wide variety of rewards to support your health, wealth, and mental well-being. In addition to medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision insurance, we offer:

• Employee Assistance Program

• Retirement plans with matching contribution

• Employee Stock Purchase Program

• Educational Assistance

• Access to PerkSpot, an employee discount platform for goods and services

• And much more!

Who We Are:

At Dollar Tree, we make a difference in the lives of our customers every day by exceeding their expectations and delivering value – it’s what our business is built on. Our associates play an important role in this commitment by embracing change and showing up for their teams and their communities.

We see an exciting path forward as our company continues to grow and transform – and we know that this path starts with you.

Join our team today and discover The Value of You.

Dollar Tree is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

This job specification should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. This is not to be considered a complete list of job duties, which appear in the job description for this position, and which may be amended from time to time at the discretion of Dollar Tree. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as may be required by their supervisor.

Please note, this job description is not a contract of employment and may be modified to meet evolving business needs. Employment at Dollar Tree, meaning that either the employee or the company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice.