Vice President, Patent Attorney

Elevate your career by joining the world's largest asset manager! Thrive in an environment that fosters positive relationships and recognizes outstanding performance. We know you want to feel valued every single day and be recognized for your contribution. At BlackRock, we strive to empower employees and effectively engage your involvement in our success. With over USD $14 trillion in AUM, our technology and services empower millions of investors to save for retirement, pay for college, buy a home, and improve their financial well‑being. BlackRock is one of the largest, most sophisticated global investment management firms and a leading provider of financial technology solutions, including the class‑leading Aladdin® investment management platform for institutional investors and Aladdin Wealth and Advisor Center analytics platforms for financial advisors.

Our Digital Enterprise Legal team provides legal support to BlackRock’s revenue‑generating technology business lines and financial‑advisor and institutional‑client engagement platforms; supports our data, technology, and markets infrastructure; and enables innovation by managing the company’s intellectual property strategy and assets.

Your role and impact

The IP Legal team within BlackRock’s Digital Enterprise Legal team is seeking an experienced, business‑minded patent attorney to join our team. You will partner closely with product engineering and business teams globally in a fast‑paced, cutting‑edge environment to strategically protect BlackRock’s growing intellectual property assets. You will counsel teams on patents, trade secrets, publications, and open‑source software licensing; ensure the patent strategy aligns with business objectives; harvest inventions; and partner with external counsel to prosecute patents. You will be based in Mumbai, India or Mexico City, Mexico.

Your Responsibilities

• Help drive and develop BlackRock’s patent strategy based on the company’s strategic goals and competitive position.
• Work closely with engineers and product teams to identify and harvest inventions capable of IP protection, and collaborate with external counsel to file, prosecute, and maintain patents.
• Cultivate an IP‑aware culture by counseling and educating internal partners on intellectual property issues, including patents, trade secrets, clean‑room development, and open‑source software licensing.
• Work with external counsel to analyze and respond to third‑party patent demands and licensing opportunities.
• Conduct freedom‑to‑operate analyses to assess potential patent risks associated with product development and commercialization, including patent landscape analyses, evaluating claim scope and validity, and advising on risk mitigation strategies.
• Actively contribute to BlackRock’s overall IP strategy, refining patent and trade‑secret‑related policies and procedures.
• Stay abreast of and communicate patent and trade‑secret legal developments that could impact business.
• Advise on IP aspects of commercial agreements, including joint development agreements and technology transfers.
• Work cross‑functionally with security and engineering teams to advise on open‑source software and open‑source AI/LLM use, licensing, and compliance strategies, and develop efficient processes to enable compliant open‑source use at scale.
• Provide clean‑room development guidance to protect product integrity, establishing protocols and conducting reviews to prevent unauthorized use of third‑party IP.

You have…

• At least 7 to 10 years of patent prosecution experience in a top‑tier law firm or in‑house legal department.
• Admission to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Bar and membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
• Experience strategically building patent portfolios, harvesting inventions, and prosecuting patents.
• Degree or equivalent experience in a technical field, preferably Engineering, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering.
• Experience in fintech, AI, machine learning, data processing, and/or software patents.
• Strong knowledge of open‑source licenses and related legal issues.
• Experience in the asset‑management or related financial industry is a plus, though not required.
• Ability to work across time zones, supporting BlackRock innovators globally (≈25% of hours for US‑based meetings).
• Initiative, attention to detail, and a collaborative working style.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to concisely explain complex legal issues orally and in writing to non‑legal audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple competing, evolving priorities and deadlines.

Our Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents, and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge, and be there for the people you care about.

Our Hybrid Work Model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model enables collaboration and apprenticeship, while offering flexibility. Employees are required to work at least four days in the office per week, with the option to work from home one day per week. Some business groups may require more time in the office. This model accelerates learning and onboarding.

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law. BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with law requirements, including applicable fair‑chance law.