Trade Mark Counsel

Job Title: Trade Mark Counsel

Location: 100VE

Company Overview:
Unilever is one of the world’s leading fast-moving consumer goods companies. Our products are sold in over 190 countries, and, on any given day, 3.4 billion consumers worldwide use them. We own some of the best known and best loved brands, including Axe, Cif, Comfort, Dermalogica, Dove, Hellmann’s, Horlicks, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Paula’s Choice, Persil, TRESemmé and Vaseline.

In order to unlock our full potential and accelerate business performance, Unilever has set out a Growth Action Plan. It outlines the steps we are taking to deliver faster growth, drive productivity and simplicity, and dial up our performance culture.  Our 30 Power Brands are front and centre of our Growth Action Plan, as is unmissable brand superiority across the 6Ps, as well as science and technology.

Our focus in Legal is on high impact strategic business partnering, leveraging and strengthening our legal expertise whilst continuing to expand the powerhouses and focus on digital transformation.

Unilever's legal team has recently been awarded Most Innovative In-House Legal Team in Europe and In-House Legal Team.  We are at the forefront of innovation and digitilisation with GenAI tools, data and Powerhouses shaping the future of how we work.  

JOB PURPOSE

The role of the Legal Group is to protect Unilever and help it to win by providing objective advice and creative legal solutions.  Unilever’s Legal Function is structured with corporate expertise Leads and General Counsels who head up each of our five Business Groups.

The Trade Mark Counsel provides comprehensive IP advice, risk management support and creative legal solutions to the business, with a focus on all aspects of global trade mark portfolio management and enforcement, M&A, copyright, music, contract drafting and negotiation, domain name registrations, recoveries and acquisitions, as well as global litigation and negotiation.  Whilst the role will not have responsibility for designs, the candidate is expected to understand the principles around design rights and other ancillary IP rights, such as patents, know-how and trade secrets and to support on licensing, sponsorship and other marketing related agreements insofar as brand IP rights are concerned.

You will be responsible for setting global IP strategies for some of our core Power Brands and you will be the regional European business partner for other global brands in Europe.  You will work closely with regional IP colleagues in China, US, India and Barcelona.  You will also work with other lawyers and functional experts on other areas such as licensing, litigation, competition law, privacy, data and digital and with our marketing lawyers. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Core Responsibilities:

Working closely with the Head of Trade Marks/Brand Protection, you will be responsible for the following areas:

Key Responsibilities:

• Clearance: develop strategies and conduct and advise on all aspects of TM clearance using a combination of industry search tools and external legal support on a global basis.
• Protection and maintenance: build strategies for what TMs to protect and where, considering ownership structures to deliver optimal protection; dealing with all aspects of prosecution and evidence requirements. 
• Watching: analyze results and ensure Unilever assets are appropriately monitored and protected
• Oppositions, cancellations and invalidity actions, as well as pre-action correspondence and enforcement actions (civil/criminal) as well as customs, and online and offline monitoring.
• Managing the trade mark portfolios for which you are responsible within budget.
• Oversee the preparation of necessary official and evidentiary documents.
• Work closely with the legal team on other IP areas such as licensing, copyright issues, designs, patents, usage rights as needed
• Pro-active involvement in team meetings including regular presentations and education of team members on relevant issues.
• Educate the business on IP issues and policy.
• Support Licensing and M&A teams on IP advice
• Work closely with Patent Attorneys and Design Counsels, and wider legal team on all areas of product launch.
• Spot wider legal issues e.g. competition risk, design rights, marketing and advertising law.

ALL ABOUT YOU

Person Specification

• Qualified TM Attorney (5+ years PQE)
• Proven track record in international TM portfolio management, preferably within an FMCG
• Self-starter, curious with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to provide advice in plain non-legal jargon.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills to cope with multiple stakeholders, competing deadlines and priorities, often at very short notice.
• Experience of using and interrogating data from TM database systems and searching tools is essential (Corsearch, TM Now).
• Creativity in problem solving.
• Team player.
• Self-confident integrity – ability to objectively judge risk and when to counsel or influence business.
• Excellent project management skills and strong understanding of stakeholder management.
• Experience of working in-house within a global matrix organisation preferable.
• Passion for tech an advantage
• Experience in managing budgets

Business Skills

• Champion IP within the business and pro-actively communicating the value of IP and advocating for changes in business behaviour where needed.
• Collaborating with other team members to leverage and drive best practice.
• Business partnering and stakeholder management are key requirements of this role. 

NOTES

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’ 

Location

In 2020, Unilever announced the intention to build a new sustainable campus site in Kingston, London to house the employees who currently work in 100 Victoria Embankment in Blackfriars ("100VE"), Lever House in Kingston and Graze in Richmond, the build is due to be complete in early 2025. Most recently, in August 2024, we announced our intention to retain our premises in 100VE until our lease expires in 2027.

We are due to consult with our existing workforce on the new proposal to retain 100VE for the duration of our lease. Therefore, until such a time consultation has concluded as to the retention of our 100VE office, this role will be based in 100 Victoria Embankment until early 2025 and then will move to the Kingston Campus.

What We Offer

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever | Unilever.

Recruitment Fraud

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How is Unilever tackling this?

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scan for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and act to close them down.

What can I do?

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat.

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!