Legal Counsel, IP

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Legal team is responsible for providing legal and compliance guidance across all aspects of Anduril’s rapidly growing business. This mission-driven and highly collaborative team provides critical support ranging from drafting and negotiating license and services agreements, to bid protests and litigation, to handling intellectual property, compliance, and employment matters. You will represent the legal team in relationships with outside counsel, vendors, engineers, executives, customers, and regulators, tackling novel legal challenges that arise from deploying advanced technology in the defense sector.

ABOUT THE JOB

Anduril’s Legal Team seeks an exceptional in-house IP attorney to help us shape the future of defense technology. This is not a traditional in-house role. You will work across nearly every aspect of Anduril’s business—working with business development, supply chain, marketing, design, and engineering teams. This role offers tremendous opportunities for ownership and professional growth, and you will be a key member of Anduril’s dynamic Legal team. Our team is passionate about the law and policy of defense technology and you should have an independent interest in the key issues in this field. This position reports to the Associate General Counsel, IP, and will be based in Costa Mesa, CA.

Anduril is a fast-growing company at the early stages of growth. Consistent with this fast growth, members of Anduril’s Legal Team must be resourceful, creative, and eager to take ownership of complex matters. This role will require creativity, resourcefulness, and a genuine desire to help Anduril deploy its path-making technology into operational settings for the United States and its allies. While your primary focus relates to IP, you will contribute to a wide variety of other aspects of Anduril’s business, from U.S. government contracts, to negotiating license and services agreements, to bid protests and litigation, to supporting compliance and employment matters. Experience across all these areas is not expected, but a willingness to learn and adapt is essential.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Drive the strategic development and management of Anduril’s worldwide IP portfolio, coordinating with internal teams to align IP strategy with corporate goals.
• Draft and negotiate complex IP provisions for a wide variety of agreements, including procurement, development, manufacturing, partnership/teaming, and licensing agreements, with the goal of protecting Anduril's core IP assets.
• Provide legal counsel on all IP-related matters; conduct IP risk assessments, investigations, and due diligence; investigate government contract IP issues and relevant laws, regulations, and policies.
• Partner directly with our engineering and product teams from conception through deployment, guiding them through the patent lifecycle and embedding best practices for IP protection into our development process.
• Cultivate high-trust professional relationships with internal teams (e.g., engineering, marketing, business development) and external partners, including government and commercial customers.
• Manage and direct outside counsel advising on IP matters.
• Embrace the unique nature of a fast-paced startup by advising on and contributing to a diverse array of legal matters as they arise.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• JD degree from a top-tier accredited law school, an active license to practice law in the United States, and a Patent Bar License in good standing.
• 6+ years of legal experience in IP law, particularly patent prosecution.
• Deep understanding of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law, as well as knowledge of U.S. government data rights (under FAR/DFARS) and IP issues in government contracts (including Bayh-Dole Act).
• Experience drafting and negotiating IP provisions for a wide variety of agreements, including procurement, development, manufacturing, partnership/teaming, and licensing agreements.
• The initiative and strategic judgment required to own multiple high-stakes projects from end-to-end.
• Quick learner with the ability and willingness to contribute across a broader legal function.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• U.S. Person status is required due to access to export-controlled data.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Technology transactions experience.
• Strong technical background and legal experience related to software, including familiarity with software licensing models.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• IP litigation experience, including familiarity with various venues and pre-litigation dispute resolution.
• A combination of law firm and in-house experience.
• A genuine interest in the law and policy of defense acquisitions, with informed opinions on industry challenges and potential solutions.
• Active or eligibility to obtain Top Secret security clearance.
• Prior experience in the military or working within the defense or national security sectors.