Associate Corporate Counsel - Legal Product, IP, and Marketing

Summary

Elastic is the Search AI Company, providing cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability. The Associate Corporate Counsel will support product and engineering teams on patent prosecution, intellectual property portfolio management, product counseling, open-source licensing, AI governance, commercial contracts, brand protection, and trade compliance.

Responsibilities

• Support Elastic's day-to-day patent prosecution and innovation motions. Develop a deep working knowledge of Elastic's product technology and roadmap. Assist in operating the invention harvesting and patent intake program by working with other Elasticians to identify innovative ideas, evaluate inventions for patentability, and prepare or review patent disclosures. You will support and assist more senior legal team members and stakeholders in working with outside patent counsel, help identify and prioritize IP filings in line with portfolio strategy, and support value creation and efficiencies in IP portfolio management
• Working closely with the Director of Legal for Product and IP, help manage Elastic's global patent, copyright, and trademark portfolios, including trademark monitoring and clearance, copyright registrations, and tracking all filing, prosecution, and renewal deadlines across jurisdictions
• Support IP enforcement strategies by assisting with domain name disputes, social media takedowns, and coordination with vendors and outside counsel on pre-litigation disputes and assertions
• Coordinate with cross-functional team members, including Legal Privacy and Commercial, Information Security, and IT to support our Product build and release functions. Support ongoing improvements to related internal guidelines as necessary to ensure all Elasticians are operating efficiently and effectively within the productization and go-to-market functions
• Assist in managing day-to-day open-source software licensing and compliance programs, ensuring inbound third-party dependencies align with our outbound strategy. Support in the creation of advice and assistance for engineering and product management teams on intellectual property rights, open-source licensing, AI modelopen weight licensing, dependencies generally, and data collection/usage risks
• Review, research, and prepare first drafts of commercial contract clauses related to AI, IP, Product, dependencies, and open-source software—including data rights and warranties. Support in the updating of legal playbooks to reflect shifting industry standards with the Commercial Legal Team
• Support in and conduct factual and legal research, organize complex documentation for technology partnerships, M&A diligence, and legal disputes in a distributed environment
• Develop a foundational understanding of Elastic's product and its technical intricacies to provide backup support to our core trade compliance team. Learn to analyze and help apply export laws, such as the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), specifically as they relate to our product capabilities and software portfolio

Skills

• 2–5+ years of experience in patent prosecution and/or litigation and intellectual property or product law, preferably with exposure to the software industry. SaaS, enterprise data platforms, or open-source products
• A bachelor's or advanced degree in a science or engineering field
• Admission to the US or Canadian Patent Bar (registration number required)
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, or managing patent applications, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear patent claims and legal analysis
• A demonstrated interest in Generative Artificial Intelligence and the legal frameworks governing code and data
• A self-starting, proactive approach with the poise to prioritize multiple projects and recalibrate advice as priorities shift
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to take complex legal and technical concepts and simplify the issues and desired outcomes
• A strong curiosity and willingness to learn trade compliance frameworks and analyze export law in relation to technical product details; prior trade compliance experience is not required
• A desire to build and strengthen workflows and "productization" processes that help a legal team scale
• Comfortable working across time zones and cultures in a distributed culture with a flexible approach to problem-solving
• This role can be located in the United States or Canada
• Experience in or academic background in software engineering is a strong plus
• A JD from a US law school or LLB from a Canadian law school preferred, but patent agents are eligible

Qualifications

Must Haves

• 2–5+ years of experience in patent prosecution and/or litigation and intellectual property or product law, preferably with exposure to the software industry. SaaS, enterprise data platforms, or open-source products
• A bachelor's or advanced degree in a science or engineering field
• Admission to the US or Canadian Patent Bar (registration number required)
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, or managing patent applications, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear patent claims and legal analysis
• A demonstrated interest in Generative Artificial Intelligence and the legal frameworks governing code and data
• A self-starting, proactive approach with the poise to prioritize multiple projects and recalibrate advice as priorities shift
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to take complex legal and technical concepts and simplify the issues and desired outcomes
• A strong curiosity and willingness to learn trade compliance frameworks and analyze export law in relation to technical product details; prior trade compliance experience is not required
• A desire to build and strengthen workflows and "productization" processes that help a legal team scale
• Comfortable working across time zones and cultures in a distributed culture with a flexible approach to problem-solving
• This role can be located in the United States or Canada

Nice to Haves

• Experience in or academic background in software engineering is a strong plus
• A JD from a US law school or LLB from a Canadian law school preferred, but patent agents are eligible

Benefits

• This role is still eligible to participate in Elastic’s equity plan
• 401k plan
• A range of other benefits offered with a holistic emphasis on employee well-being
• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations
• Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles
• Generous number of vacation days each year
• We match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service
• Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love
• Minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave