IP Counsel, Transactions

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and strategic transactional attorney to join the IP team within our growing legal department. In this role, you will be responsible for the IP side of Anthropic's transactions, partnering with the M&A and commercial counsel who lead each deal. You will conduct IP diligence and negotiate IP terms for our acquisitions and investments, help advise on IP terms in our most complex commercial and research agreements, and drive the playbooks and processes that make our processes scalable. You will partner closely with the Head of IP (direct manager), our M&A and Commercial Legal teams, and Corporate Development on questions and issues that are very often new.

Responsibilities

• Lead the IP workstream on acquisitions and strategic investments, from diligence through letters of intent, definitive agreements, closing, and integration, alongside our M&A counsel and outside counsel

• Partner with commercial counsel on the IP aspects of complex enterprise, partnership, research collaboration, and vendor agreements, advising on and negotiating IP terms

• Serve as the primary point of contact on IP terms for commercial legal and other colleagues, and help train them so they can resolve more IP questions on their own

• Drive the playbooks, templates, and processes that let a lean team handle IP terms across a high volume of deals

• Contribute to broader IP strategy, particularly where transactions intersect with open source, trade secrets, patents, or new business models

Minimum qualifications

• Hold a JD and are an active member of at least one U.S. state bar

• Have substantial experience leading IP due diligence and negotiating IP terms in technology M&A

• Have first-chair experience negotiating IP provisions in complex commercial technology agreements, such as licenses, joint development agreements, and services agreements

• Have the ability to communicate IP risks and tradeoffs clearly to business leaders and non-specialist lawyers, and to exercise sound judgment about when to hold a position

• Have strong working knowledge of open source licensing, employee and contractor IP assignment obligations, and trade secret protection

Preferred qualifications

• 10+ years of transactional IP experience at a nationally recognized law firm, a technology company, or both

• Experience building negotiation playbooks, templates, or diligence processes that other lawyers relied on

• Experience with AI, machine learning, data licensing, or other emerging technology

• Curiosity about AI and a commitment to its responsible development