Patent Agent at Abbott Laboratories

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Working at Abbott
At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity
Location of position is Santa Clara, CA, Sylmar, CA, Abbott Park, IL, Chicago, IL, Columbus, Ohio, Plano, TX, Plymouth, MN, or St. Paul, MN.

As a Patent Agent, you will provide legal services and resolve legal matters for assigned responsibilities or clients.  You will support the businesses in the achievement of business objectives by communicating advice of the Legal Department and managing legal risks to the corporation.

What You’ll Do

• Working with little supervision, assess competitor patent portfolios relative to current and future Abbott medical device products and develop corresponding IP strategy, provide patent support for Abbott medical device businesses, including prosecuting patent applications, assessing and landscaping technologies and patent porfolios, managing outside counsel, and effectively communicating advice to relevant stakeholders.
• Work with cross-functional team to assess threats to Abbott products.
• Manage litigation support, working directly with litigation team, including patent office post-grant challenges in the US and EU, developing strategies to impact litigation or pre-litigation, acting as an internal subject matter expert, and leading a legal support team
• Coordinate and conduct Freedom to Operate projects.
• Draft and prosecute strategic patent claims.
• Determine priorities, define what work should be accomplished, and decide how work should be accomplished.

Required Qualifications

• Possess a Bachelor’s degree or higher in science or engineering
• Registered patent agent with the USPTO
• 5 years of relevant industry experience
• Minimum 5 years of experience with patent prosecution
• Minimum 5 years of experience with assessing competitor products and IP
• Minimum 5 years of experience analyzing competitive intelligence and developing corresponding IP strategy

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in house in a highly matrixed environment.
• Medical device or other health care business experience
• Ability to understand applicable FDA regulations and company operating procedures, processes, policies, and tasks.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor, and to perform successfully in cross-functional teams

Critical Success Factors

• Good Judgment: Demonstrate expertise and sound judgment, understand how assigned responsibilities support Abbott’s business objectives, and be able to provide practical, risk-balanced advice based upon a thorough understanding of the scope of an issue, taking full advantage of internal networks and external intelligence.
• Collaboration: Firm understanding of available legal, functional, and business resources and ability to integrate information from a number of sources to achieve business results, including breaking down boundaries to create alignment as necessary, in a complex, global, matrixed environment.
• Anticipation: Holistic, big picture thinker, who anticipates changes in law, enforcement, and/or business objectives and adapts approach as necessary to manage risks effectively and mitigate issues before they arise.
• Influencing Skills: Build strong relationships with business partners to tactfully influence and gain their support to drive desired outcomes.

Apply Now

* Participants who complete a short wellness assessment qualify for FREE coverage in our HIP PPO medical plan. Free coverage applies in the next calendar year.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives:  www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on X (formerly Twitter) @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

The base pay for this position is $125,700.00 – $251,500.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.