Senior Trade Mark Counsel in London

The Senior Trade Mark Counsel is a global role within the Oral Health Legal team, reporting to the Legal Head of Category. The position serves as a trusted business partner to the Category and cross‑functional stakeholders, providing pragmatic, strategic legal counsel and intellectual property guidance across trademarks, copyright, domain names, and related rights for Haleon’s Oral Health Category. The role also shapes and executes the global trademark strategy for Oral Health across the full brand lifecycle from clearance and protection to enforcement, transactions, and litigation.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted business partner by proactively embedding with cross‑functional teams to provide pragmatic, strategic legal counsel that anticipates risk, accelerates decision making, and supports the company’s long‑term commercial objectives.
• Counsel, advise and guide global teams and regional Operating Units on trademark issues for the Oral Health Category.
• Implement trademark strategies with all relevant stakeholders.
• Direct the entire lifecycle of the brand portfolio globally: clearance, protection, prosecution, enforcement, and transactions.
• Advise Category on risks that new launches infringe third‑party rights via clearance.
• Set strategy for protecting key launches.
• Advise on and protect other IP rights such as copyright, domains and designs.
• Set strategic direction on all trademark enforcement and litigation matters to ensure competitors are not unfairly taking advantage of Haleon’s rights.
• Advise Category and local markets on trademark issues and risks affecting their brands/products.
• Instruct external counsel on key actions and direct paralegals.
• Assist Category Legal team in improving and simplifying processes, ways of working, and trademark systems.
• Keep up with relevant legal, regulatory or policy developments that may impact the Company’s brands and intellectual property rights, advise on potential legal risks, and assist with the set up and implementation of intellectual property policies and processes to manage such risks.
• Manage negotiation and drafting of significant trademark agreements.
• Provide intellectual property support in relation to M&A activities, divestment, licensing, joint ventures, and corporate restructuring.
• Manage spend and forecasting for the portfolio of brands and cases.
• Deliver enterprise‑wide intellectual property training tailored to Category needs.
• Prepare and update resources to facilitate enterprise‑wide empowerment and accountability of stakeholders in the management of trademarks and intellectual property generally.
• Interact with all types of Haleon stakeholders in matters related to global and enterprise‑wide legal matters, fostering a cross‑functional community of practice needed on behalf of the entire company.

Qualifications and Skills

• UK Qualified Solicitor or other European or US jurisdiction, or equivalent degree from an accredited law school with bar qualification.
• Demonstrated experience practicing intellectual property law (law firm experience highly desirable).
• Deep knowledge of trademark and copyright law.
• Experience in design, domain name, digital, contract, licensing, right of publicity and privacy law is a plus.
• Collaborative and team‑orientated mindset promoting innovation and motivation throughout the team.
• Excellent written, oral, listening and organisational skills with proven ability to interact effectively with varied audiences.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritise and manage workload, manage simultaneous tasks, and meet deadlines in a changing, fast‑paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, intercultural competence and emotional intelligence.

Location

London (Bankside), with occasional travel to the Weybridge site (approximately once every 2 weeks to once a month).

Equal Opportunities

Haleon are committed to mobilising our purpose in a way that represents the diverse consumers and communities who rely on our brands every day. It guides us in creating an inclusive culture, where different backgrounds and views are valued and respected – all in support of understanding and best serving the needs of our consumers and unleashing the full potential of our people. It’s important to us that Haleon is a place where all our employees feel they truly belong.