Position Summary

Reporting to the CEO, the General Counsel is responsible for overseeing Star Therapeutic’s legal function providing strategic business and legal advice and guidance to the CEO, the Board of Directors, and the senior executive team. The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, general corporate legal management, governance and compliance, intellectual property strategy and management, support of commercial transactions (potential private and public equity offerings and corporate development), litigation, employment law, and data privacy.

The General Counsel provides senior management and the board of directors with effective legal counsel on company strategies and their implementation, manages the legal function, and assesses and manages risk.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic and Advisory Leadership

  • Act as a key strategic advisor to the CEO and executive team, providing insights on legal risks, opportunities, and strategies aligned with the company’s business objectives.
  • Serve as legal advisor on all major business transactions, including IPO, acquisitions and business development transactions.
  • As a member of the company’s executive leadership team, participate in the development and execution of the company’s business strategy.

 

General Corporate Legal Management

  • Manage legal support and advise the Star team and business units across the organization regarding corporate legal matters and risks, including but not limited to: private and public financing activities, corporate development and related matters, new entity formation, contracts and contracting process, vendor negotiations, equity management, corporate governance, securities compliance, general transaction support, intellectual property, license agreements, employment law, regulatory matters, compliance, commercial and risk management.
  • Analyzes the impact of new laws and regulations globally, on relevant business areas and partners with managers to implement new programs and/or requirements.
  • Develop functional plans for managing legal matters, including determination of whether activities are performed in-house or through third-party providers.
  • Manage relationships with external legal advisors and ensure efficient use of external legal resources.

Compliance Management

  • Oversee, develop, and implement an overall compliance program in accordance with current industry guidance, trends, and business needs.
  • Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards, including SEC reporting requirements, FDA regulations, World Health Organizations, and state-specific biotech laws.
  • Ensure compliance program is effectively integrated into the Company’s culture and business operations by developing strong relationships with key stakeholders throughout the organization.
  • Support the preparation of multiple regulatory filings, communication with health authorities, and launch preparations, including labeling and promotional communications review.
  • Identify potential gaps in compliance controls (e.g., policy, procedure, or training) through ongoing monitoring activities and implement appropriate enhancements.

 

Risk Management and Litigation

  • Identify and assess legal and business risks, providing proactive advice to mitigate potential issues.
  • Direct and manage any actual or threatened claims or litigation, including selecting and overseeing outside counsel, developing litigation strategies, and managing budgets.
  • Negotiate settlements and resolve disputes in the company’s best interest.
  • Lead the company’s response to legal crises, including regulatory investigations and significant litigation.
  • Develop contingency plans and coordinate with stakeholders to manage and resolve crises effectively

 

IP Management

  • Oversee the company’s intellectual property strategy, ensuring the protection and enforcement of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other IP assets.
  • Working closely with outside counsel, oversee the management of a complex and diverse patent and IP portfolio, including filing and prosecuting patents, managing patent litigation, and negotiating IP licenses and agreements and build out of internal IP function.
  • Collaborate with R&D teams to identify and protect new inventions and innovations.
  • Conduct regular IP audits to ensure the company’s IP assets are adequately protected and leveraged.

 

Governance

  • Oversee the company’s corporate governance framework, ensuring robust decision-making processes and accountability.
  • Ensure adherence to best practices in governance, including leading and maintaining accurate records of Board and committee meetings.

 

Requirements:

  • Experience with IPO, M&A transaction and related matters.
  • Meaningful experience developing and overseeing corporate contracts, IP, compliance programs in a biotechnology and/or global pharmaceutical corporation conducting risk assessments and managing compliance-related issues.
  • Broad experience in intellectual property law, including patent law, licensing of IP rights and IP due diligence
  • The ability to communicate issues to internal teams, raise salient issues, propose various strategies to limit risk and help the business comply with terms and evaluate actions from a legal and risk perspective.
  • Ability to comfortably interact with senior management, board of directors, CEO, and other senior leaders and ability to effectively collaborate to influence change.
  • Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with a proven track record of forging relationships among stakeholders
  • Strong emotional intelligence (EQ), empathetic with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.
  • A proactive, attentive attitude toward both daily tasks and long-term initiatives.

 

Education & Professional Experience

  • JD from an accredited law school and active member of the CA state bar, or ability to practice in CA via in-house counsel registration.
  • 15+ years of relevant experience either in a law firm or in-house, with a minimum of 5 years of in-house experience.
  • Proven track record of success in a Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel capacity at a publicly traded biotech or pharmaceutical company.

 

Salary Range 

The hiring salary range for candidates residing in California for this position is $280,000 to $350,000 annually.  This salary range is an estimate of what we reasonably expect to pay for this posted position, and the actual salary may vary based on various factors, including without limitation geographic location, individual education, experience, tenure, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.  This position is also eligible for bonus, benefits, and participation in the Company’s stock option plan. 

 

*Please note the preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

 

Star Therapeutics is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.  Star is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.