Trademark and Marketing, Counsel

This position is for a senior trademark law specialist with US and global Trade Mark and marketing counseling experience, to join the Intellectual Property Team of The Coca-Cola Company. TM Counsel in this position will be primarily responsible for trademark clearance, filing and application strategies, protection, and enforcement of the Company's trademarks and brands. TM Counsel will also support counseling matters, including IP ownership, copyright and licensing issues, due diligence, design governance, marketing material and claims review, and opinion work. We require a candidate with 5+ years of experience in IP and marketing matters with expert knowledge and focus on trademark practice and procedure. Law firm and corporate in-house experience preferred.

LOCATION: Atlanta

What You'll Do for Us:

1. Trademark Portfolio Management

• Oversee and manage the Company's trademark portfolio, including registration, maintenance, dilution avoidance and enforcement.
• Conduct trademark searches and due diligence to assess the availability and registrability of marks.
• Manage a network of partners who are wired to monitor and advise on governmental, regulatory, marketing and intellectual property challenges
• Stay updated on changes in trademark laws and regulations, both domestically and internationally.
• Assess and mitigate trademark-related risks.

2. Legal Advice and Counseling

• Provide expert legal counsel on trademark matters to various business units and departments.
• Advise on trademark strategy, protection, and enforcement, including issues related to trademark clearance, use, and licensing.
• Build stakeholder relationships, in particular with intellectual property authorities and regulators and professional associations

3. Trademark Registration and Prosecution

• Prepare and file trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and international trademark offices.
• Handle trademark prosecution matters, including responding to office actions and opposition proceedings.

4. Enforcement and Litigation

• Monitor and enforce trademark rights against potential infringements.
• Collaborate with external counsel on trademark litigation cases when necessary.

5. Trademark Licensing and Agreements

• Draft, review, and negotiate trademark licenses, assignments, settlement and coexistence agreements.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations and licensing arrangements.

6. IP Policy Development

• Assist in the development and implementation of intellectual property policies and procedures.
• Develop materials and conduct training sessions for employees to raise awareness of trademark and IP-related issues.

7. Legal Review and Compliance

• Provide category, strategic and tactical brand management, and design governance leadership to the marketing and brand leads in the Company, with a focus on North America
• Review of marketing materials for implementation by the business, including marketing presentations, campaign launches, advertising materials, digital content including webpages and videos, online promotions, social media, endorsements and influencers to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including FTC guidelines.

8. Contract Review

• Review and draft agreements related to marketing, including influencer agreements, agency contracts, and sponsorship agreements.
• Ensure that contractual obligations align with the company's marketing goals.

9. Regulatory Guidance & Compliance

• Stay updated on industry-specific regulations and trends affecting marketing, advertising, and social media.
• Educate marketing teams on legal and compliance requirements.

10. Budget Management

• Manage the trademark department's budget effectively, optimizing resources for maximum protection.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and active membership in a U.S. state bar.
• Minimum 5 years of experience practicing trademark law, including in-house counsel experience.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. trademark law and international trademark matters.
• Experience with trademark litigation and enforcement.

Functional Skills:

• Technical Skills. Strong technical skills in trademarks and IP law
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a legal team and with various business units.
• Detail-oriented with exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• Proficiency in trademark search tools and trademark management software.
• Ability to devise legal solutions that reduce financial liability, costs and negative publicity to acceptable levels.
• Ability to determine appropriate role of outside counsel, including setting parameters for involvement. Includes ability to determine appropriate staffing and controlling fees, cost and expenses
• Customer service and results oriented.
• Active listening skills.

We are looking for someone who creates a trustful and inclusive environment where everyone's uniqueness is celebrated.

Leadership Behaviors:

• DRIVE INNOVATION: Generate new or unique solutions and embrace new ideas that help sustain our business. Establish a compelling vision
• COLLABORATE WITH SYSTEM, CUSTOMERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS: Develop and leverage relationships with stakeholders to appropriately stretch and impact the System (Company and Bottler)
• ACT LIKE AN OWNER: Deliver results, creating value for our brands, our System, our customers and key stakeholders
• INSPIRE OTHERS: Inspire people to deliver our mission and vision, demonstrate passion for the business and give people a reason to believe anything is possible
• DEVELOP SELF AND OTHERS: Develop self and support others' development to achieve full potential

What We Can Do for You:

• Purpose Driven:Purpose driven approach that empowers our people to protect the environment and communities we serve while delivering safe & quality products.
• Agile Work Environment: We embrace agile, with leadership that believes in removing barriers, so you are empowered to innovate and discover new solutions to complex problems.
• Community of Belonging:We're an organization that believes our ability to continually grow and build the right atmosphere where people feel safe and empowered, lets you bring your best self to work.

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what's possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors - curious, empowered, inclusive and agile - and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130 years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.