Associate General Counsel - IP Lead - Singapore

Job Description 

The Associate General Counsel, IP Asia Pacific is a senior legal leader based in Singapore with primary responsibility for leading intellectual property strategy, brand protection, and related legal matters across the region. This role provides strategic, practical, and business-oriented counsel with a primary focus on trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, domain names, licensing, enforcement, and IP risk management. Partners closely with business leaders and functional stakeholders to protect the company’s innovations, brands, and reputation while enabling growth across diverse markets in the Asia Pacific region.

 

Responsibilities Intellectual Property, Brand & Regional Legal Leadership 

• Lead intellectual property legal support across the Asia Pacific region, serving as the principal legal advisor for regional IP strategy, portfolio protection, and enforcement initiatives.

• Develop and execute regional legal strategies to protect the company’s intellectual property assets, brands, innovations, reputation, and commercial interests.

• Oversee trademark, copyright, domain name, trade secret, licensing, and brand enforcement matters across multiple jurisdictions.

• Partner with regional leadership, product teams, and commercial stakeholders to identify IP risks, support innovation, and provide pragmatic legal guidance.

• Manage outside counsel and, where applicable, develop regional legal team members to ensure high-quality, efficient support on IP and related legal matters.

Commercial IP, Brand Protection & Dispute Management 

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of IP-related and commercial agreements, including licensing, technology, distribution, marketing, confidentiality, coexistence, settlement, and services agreements.

• IP Lead supporting brand protection and enforcement activities, including anti-counterfeiting strategies, infringement matters, online enforcement, customs support, and coordination with external counsel.

• Manage IP disputes, claims, oppositions, cancellations, and litigation affecting the region, balancing legal risk, cost, and business priorities.

• Advise marketing, product, and business teams on brand use, advertising, promotions, product claims, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives with a strong focus on IP protection and risk mitigation.

Strategic Transactions & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Support strategic transactions and business initiatives across the region, including partnerships, licensing arrangements, market expansion activities, and other corporate matters.

• Work closely with product, commercial, marketing, supply chain, and leadership teams to align legal guidance with operational realities and growth priorities.

• Provide clear, solution-oriented counsel that balances legal protection with speed, innovation, and business impact.

Qualifications 

• Law degree from a recognized institution and admission to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.

• Typically 15+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial in-house and/or top-tier law firm experience supporting regional or international businesses.

• Deep experience in intellectual property law, including trademarks, copyright, brand protection, licensing, trade secrets, and enforcement strategy.

• Strong experience managing IP disputes, infringement matters, and cross-border portfolio and enforcement issues across multiple jurisdictions.

• Demonstrated ability to oversee a broad range of legal matters across multiple countries and legal systems in the Asia Pacific region, with strong judgment on IP and commercial risk.

• Experience advising senior business leaders and influencing decisions in a complex, matrixed organization.

• Strong commercial judgment, risk assessment skills, and ability to provide practical, solution-oriented advice.

• Experience managing external counsel and legal budgets effectively.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-legal audiences.

• High integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience working across the Asia Pacific region.

Compensation and benefits for this role will be aligned with the scope and seniority of the position and are competitive for the Singapore market. Final package will depend on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

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