Support Inertia's legal needs by managing intellectual property strategy and commercial agreements in a fast-growing startup environment.
The IP & Commercial Counsel will support Inertia’s legal needs with a primary focus on intellectual property, while also acting as a generalist attorney for commercial matters. This role is ideal for a hands-on legal professional with experience in hardware and laboratory-based organizations.
This is an incredible opportunity to join Inertia at an early stage, and play a key role in shaping and executing the company’s long-term IP strategy. Reporting to Interia’s Head of Business, the Corporate Counsel role is a full time in-office position, located in our Livermore, CA office.
Develop, implement, and manage Inertia’s intellectual property strategy in alignment with business and R&D objectives.
Manage relationships with outside counsel.
Coordinate invention disclosures and patent filings in partnership with engineers, scientists, and outside counsel.
Support IP risk assessments, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive landscape reviews.
Educate internal teams on IP best practices, confidentiality, and protection of proprietary information.
Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, vendor and collaboration agreements.
Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to support day-to-day operations.
Identify and help mitigate legal and contractual risks while enabling business velocity.
As a fast growing startup, there are corporate matters that will arise, and the IP & Commercial Counsel will need to act as a conduit to outside counsel for more these areas to ensure priority focus on IP & Commercial.
JD from an accredited law school; active bar membership.
6–8 years of legal experience with IP and commercial contracting.
Experience supporting technology, hardware, energy, or R&D-driven organizations preferred.
Familiarity with patent prosecution processes and working with outside counsel.
Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment and balance legal rigor with practical business judgement.
Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
The base salary range for this role is $190,000 - $235,000; The pay range provided is an estimated base range for this role. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and education.
We offer market-competitive compensation and an excellent benefits program, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, company-paid holidays, matching 401k, and more!
Inertia is taking the most direct, scientifically-proven path to commercializing fusion, leveraging the only successful achievement of fusion ignition, using a process that was pioneered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). With groundbreaking innovation, transformative technology, and multi-year investment, Inertia is committed to commercializing fusion energy in the next decade.
Inertia is focused on the commercialization of fusion energy, utilizing a proven process developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. By leveraging successful achievements in fusion ignition, we're poised to transform energy production with advanced technology and significant investment, aiming to make fusion a practical energy source within the next decade.
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