The role, in a nutshell:

We're looking for our first IP/Product Counsel to help Chainguard protect, monetize, and scale what we're building. Chainguard moves quickly. As a result, open source licensing questions, product launch nuances, and IP protection are part of the day-to-day business, not occasional legal requests.

This role sits at the intersection of IP and product. You'll manage our growing IP portfolio, lead enforcement efforts when our licensing terms are violated, and work closely with product and engineering teams as they build and launch new products and features.

This is a role with a significant runway. We're not looking for someone to walk in and build a fully staffed function on day one. We're looking for someone who can take ownership, build scalable processes, and grow the function over time.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in IP law, particularly open source licensing, trademark and copyright, with patent and technology transactions experience as a plus. You'll also have experience working closely with product teams, including drafting product terms, reviewing terms of service, and advising on the relevant privacy, licensing, and IP implications of new products and features.

You should be comfortable working across both sides of IP: proactively building protections for the company and enforcing those protections when needed. Fluency in open source licensing is required, including knowledge of standard permissive and copyleft licenses (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD, GPL, LGPL, MPL) and non-standard (e.g. dual license) , as you'll work with engineering teams on open source questions on a regular basis.

What You'll Do:

• Own and grow Chainguard's international IP portfolio;
• Lead IP enforcement efforts, including cease-and-desist actions involving customers or competitors who violate our licensing terms;
• Serve as a go-to legal resource for open source licensing questions from engineering;
• Advise product teams on licensing, IP, and terms of service considerations across multiple concurrent product and feature launches;
• Draft and review product terms and terms of service for new launches;
• Advise on licensing considerations in partner and joint development agreements;
• Partner with product and engineering teams early in the development process to identify and address legal considerations before launch; and
• Build scalable IP processes, templates, and resources as the function grows

What We're Looking For:

• 5+ years of legal experience with a strong foundation in IP law, including trademark and copyright; patent experience is a plus
• Strong knowledge of open source licensing is highly valued, as these questions come up regularly in the role
• Experience advising on product launches, product roadmaps, product terms, or terms of service is a plus, but not required
• Strong IP experience can outweigh lighter product counsel experience
• Comfort working both proactively to build and protect the company's IP and reactively when enforcement is required
• This is an individual contributor role today with the opportunity to grow into leading the function over time
  
  

Why This Role:

Chainguard recently experienced the busiest product launch stretch in company history. The pace isn't slowing down, and neither are the IP and licensing questions that come with it.

This role will sit at the center of that work. You'll help build the protections around what we're creating, handle disputes when they arise, and partner directly with product and engineering teams before they ship.

As Chainguard continues to scale, so will this function. For the right person, there's a real opportunity to shape how we approach IP and product counsel and potentially build and lead a team over time.