Northrop Grumman is seeking an Intellectual Property Paralegal to join the Intellectual Property, Technology, & Information team within its Law Department, working from the company’s Northern Virginia location. The paralegal will report to the Director and Corporate Counsel for Intellectual Property (IP) and Information Governance, support the corporate licensing practice, and serve as a key partner for the administration, upgrade, and migration of the department’s electronic IP management tools. They also will work as a critical part of a team assisting IP legal counsels and collaborating with other IP paralegals on core IP activities, including capture, review, and docketing, outside counsel management, budget and invoice review and processing, metrics, reporting, and general administrative support.
The paralegal’s responsibilities may include, among other things:
Supporting IP Counsels on IP docketing, management, licensing and transactional matters
Serving as a primary point of contact for IP and portfolio management tools (e.g., IP registration, docketing, licensing, and reporting), including handling support requests with vendors.
Managing maintenance fee/annuities in collaboration with other company IP paralegals and sector business partners
Assisting IP counsel with managing outside counsel handled patent/trademark filings
Supporting IP counsel on transactional matters, including IP licensing administration and management
Administering internal IP related databases and using them to generate, schedule, and automate reports for metrics, budgets, and dashboards
Collaborating with sector business partners and other IP paralegals to provide requested information regarding matters in IP portfolio
Working on trademark renewals and use declarations, specimen collection
Performing preliminary trademark searches using US, EP, and Int’l databases
Collaborating with and providing general support for patent and trademark activities to assigned IP counsel
Setting up matters in IP management software and billing systems
Reviewing and confirming outside counsel invoices
Supporting recurring metrics and reporting
Collaborating with other company IP paralegals and IP portfolio management practice leader (attorney) in IP asset management, enterprise portfolio operations and related strategic initiatives
Developing and maintaining standard operating procedures and training materials for users of electronic IP management tools
Perform administrative duties (up to 20% of time) to support attorneys and facilitate department operations, including managing correspondence and calendars, scheduling travel and meetings, coordinating logistics and other arrangements, preparing and submitting expense reports, maintaining files and records, and handling routine client and vendor communications
To succeed in the role, a candidate must:
Proactively identify and solve problems independently
Manage competing priorities to complete work reliably in a fast-paced environment
Demonstrate excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills
Work comfortably with technology
Consistently show strong organizaional skills and attention to detail
This position may be filled at a higher level based on the requirements below.
Basic Qualifications:
High school diploma and at least 4 years of relevant experience (law firm or corporate legal department)
Expertise in Microsoft Office software (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel), SharePoint (or equivalent), and document review platforms
Experience using complex electronic databases, such as budget analysis and billing systems (e.g., Serengeti Legal Tracker or equivalent)
Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to express complex ideas clearly to various audiences across a large organization and with government agencies
Ability to execute tasks and projects independently
Demonstrated ability to build and foster effective, collaborative relationships with others
US citizenship
Preferred Qualifications:
Familiarity with IP docketing policies and procedures, IP management software, and IP licensing practices
Exposure to database administration, including data migration and upgrade activities
Exposure to working on a project management team, including project planning, scheduling and execution
Familiarity with USPTO procedures
Bachelor’s Degree
At least 4 years of experience (law firm or corporate legal department) specializing in intellectual property