Paralegal

POSITION SUMMARY

The Trademark Paralegal position is responsible for working with in-house attorney, outside counsel (U.S. and International) and internal business partners to administer the Company’s trademark portfolio and all aspects of trademark work. The role requires working very closely with both the U.S. and International business teams and foreign associates on all aspects of trademark as a trusted legal partner.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

May perform any or all of the following duties:

Trademark:

• File domestic trademark applications, Statements of Use, Extensions of Time, and other online USPTO forms.
• Work closely with foreign associates in 50 countries to file applications, provide instructions on existing files and maintain records of worldwide trademarks, oppositions, cancellations, and conflict matters.
• Work closely with business teams on all trademark matters including searches for new product names and slogans and gathering evidence of use for various domestic and foreign trademarks.
• Prepares reports on trademark activity as needed, assists with the review of watch notices, performs internet research projects and other special projects as requested, and assists with trademark matters.
• Work closely with an internal docketing specialist to maintain and manage the Company’s database (WebTMS) for all foreign and domestic trademarks.
• Conduct preliminary trademark searches for potential products and taglines and summarize findings; analyze full trademark search reports compiled by outside counsel and summarize findings.

General:

• Attends seminars and completes other training to remain current on industry trends
• Participates in company meetings, webinars, and conference calls
• Performs other duties and/or special projects as assigned in response to changing business conditions and/or requirements

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS/CORE COMPETENCIES

• Must possess a minimum of 3 years (ideally 3-5) of experience that demonstrates a commanding knowledge of trademark.
• Franchise and Food law experience preferred.
• A paralegal certificate is required; BA/BS is preferred.
• Ability to communicate with lawyers, senior business leaders, and outside legal counsel around the world at a fairly sophisticated level.
• Excellent business judgment with a capacity to make decisions and give advice, demonstrating an understanding of overall business objectives and the risks/rewards of each situation.
• Ability to juggle and appropriately prioritize multiple issues.
• Excellent people skills, strong business orientation, team player, self-motivating, and collaborative.
• Must display strong analytical and organizational skills and have the ability to identify and implement process improvement strategies with positive business results.
• Must have strong work ethic and a high level of confidentiality to ensure proper handling of sensitive information.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Hybrid work environment – in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
• Corporate Office, fast-paced, has a high volume of activity, and has a deadline-driven environment

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Sitting for extended periods of time, using a telephone, typing, and/or operating a computer and/or mouse
• Travels as needed approximately ten (10)%

THE COMPANY RETAINS THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR ASSIGN OTHER DUTIES TO THIS POSITION AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE WITH OR WITHOUT NOTICE.