Corporate Counsel, Patent Licensing & Transactions

About the role

Amazon is seeking an exceptional Corporate Counsel for the Patent Licensing & Transactions team. The role drives high‑stakes patent licensing and transactions and helps shape strategy for one of the world’s most valuable IP portfolios. You will manage pre‑litigation patent assertions, build processes to track and respond to licensing opportunities, and partner with business leaders, patent engineers, and litigators to solve complex global IP problems.

Preferred locations are Seattle, WA or Arlington, VA; New York, NY may be considered. Occasional domestic or international travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and manage pre‑litigation patent assertions—from discussions with individual inventors to global SEP campaigns across multiple businesses.
• Structure, draft, and negotiate patent licenses, cross‑licenses, and settlement agreements.
• Develop templates, playbooks, and scalable processes to efficiently address recurring IP risks and issues.
• Identify and execute strategic patent acquisitions, including negotiating patent purchase and sale agreements and joint development agreements.
• Partner with patent litigation and prosecution colleagues to align strategy and priorities across licensing, litigation, and portfolio development.
• Manage outside counsel on complex negotiations and transactions, balancing quality, speed, and cost.

A day in the life: Your primary focus is managing pre‑litigation patent assertions, from evaluating licensing opportunities to negotiating and closing major patent licensing deals. You will collaborate daily with patent engineers and attorneys to dive into technology and work with litigators and business leaders to align on strategy. No two days look the same—you might spend the morning negotiating a deal and the afternoon developing strategy for patent‑pool engagement.

About the team

This fast‑moving team focuses on strategic patent licensing, pre‑litigation patent assertions, and collaborations with universities and standards‑development organizations. The team tackles complex IP challenges across Amazon’s broad portfolio of technologies and products.

Requirements

• 5+ years of post‑bar admission legal experience.
• Juris Doctor and membership in one state bar or equivalent.
• 3+ years experience with IP transactions such as licenses, cross‑licenses, or patent settlement agreements.
• 7+ years of in‑house legal or law‑firm experience (preferred).
• Experience managing multiple projects and priorities across teams in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment (preferred).
• Significant experience with IP transactions, including negotiating complex patent licenses, cross‑licenses, joint development agreements, and patent purchase/sale agreements (preferred).
• Familiarity with SEP/FRAND concepts and practical experience negotiating within those frameworks (preferred).
• Experience with domestic and international patent litigation, including multi‑jurisdiction litigation campaigns (preferred).
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex IP and business issues to audiences at all levels (preferred).
• Proven ability to learn diverse technology areas, including consumer devices, cloud infrastructure, digital content and streaming, AI/ML, robotics, and wireless communications (preferred).

Benefits

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription).
• Basic Life & AD&D insurance and optional supplemental life plans.
• Employee Assistance Program and mental health support.
• Medical advice line.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Adoption and surrogacy reimbursement coverage.
• 401(k) matching.
• Paid time off and parental leave.
• Sign‑on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs) as part of the compensation package.

Pay

• New York, NY: $169,300 – $229,000 USD annually.
• Arlington, VA: $153,900 – $208,200 USD annually.
• Seattle, WA: $153,900 – $208,200 USD annually.