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How to hire an intellectual property lawyer

Intellectual property lawyer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring intellectual property lawyers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire an intellectual property lawyer is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new intellectual property lawyer to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire an intellectual property lawyer, step by step

To hire an intellectual property lawyer, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a intellectual property lawyer:

Here's a step-by-step intellectual property lawyer hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write an intellectual property lawyer job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new intellectual property lawyer
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an intellectual property lawyer do?

An intellectual property (IP) lawyer is a licensed professional who is responsible for protecting a client's intellectual property as well as provide counseling about matters concerning intellectual property. Intellectual property lawyers are required to review or produce important documents and complete the analysis of highly technical materials. They prepare documents so that they can attain patents and trademarks for their client's intellectual property. Intellectual property lawyers are also required to defend businesses and individuals against the over-assertion of intellectual properties.

Learn more about the specifics of what an intellectual property lawyer does
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Post an intellectual property lawyer job for free, promote it for a fee

  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your intellectual property lawyer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an intellectual property lawyer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    An intellectual property lawyer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, intellectual property lawyers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    Here's a comparison of intellectual property lawyer salaries for various roles:

    Type of Intellectual Property LawyerDescriptionHourly rate
    Intellectual Property LawyerLawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.$19-80
    Corporate CounselA Corporate Counsel, also known as a corporate lawyer, works for a business or company providing legal advice to the employer. They usually work in the employers main office, but also can travel to participate in meetings, trials, and other legal proceedings.$47-99
    Staff AttorneyStaff Attorneys are legal employees who work for a variety of organizations, often as full-time employees. They use their legal expertise to help deal with day-to-day legal issues with which their organization needs regular assistance.$33-83
    Show more

  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Litigation
    • Legal Advice
    • Due Diligence
    • Legal Issues
    • Law Firm
    • Intellectual Property Law
    • USPTO
    • Patent Litigation
    • Open Source Software
    • Patent Prosecution
    • Patent Portfolio
    • Trade Secrets
    • License Agreements
    • Patent Preparation
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Develop and implement an agency-wide client privacy policy and manage agency response to all matters involving subpoenas and warrants.
    • Prepare, file and prosecute trademark applications with the USPTO.
    • Prepare, file, and prosecute patent and trademark applications before the USPTO and foreign patent offices.
    • Reduce expenses and identify litigation targets through review and pruning of existing patent portfolio.
    • Work on drafting and prosecution of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and chemical patent applications
    • Prepare and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemicals, materials and mechanical arts.
    More intellectual property lawyer duties

  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the intellectual property lawyer job description is a good way to get more applicants. An intellectual property lawyer salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for an intellectual property lawyer in Wyoming may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level intellectual property lawyer. Additionally, an intellectual property lawyer with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average intellectual property lawyer salary

    $82,730yearly

    $39.77 hourly rate
    Entry-level intellectual property lawyer salary
    $40,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025

    Average intellectual property lawyer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Massachusetts$147,742$71
    2District of Columbia$131,240$63
    3New York$130,019$63
    4New Jersey$112,381$54
    5Connecticut$107,836$52
    6California$107,465$52
    7Illinois$93,496$45
    8Colorado$90,694$44
    9Oregon$86,223$41
    10Pennsylvania$81,296$39
    11Wisconsin$80,189$39
    12Minnesota$78,980$38
    13Arizona$78,570$38
    14Texas$75,736$36
    15North Carolina$73,445$35
    16Maine$73,324$35
    17Georgia$72,436$35
    18Florida$71,567$34
    19Alabama$71,214$34
    20Arkansas$64,021$31

    Average intellectual property lawyer salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Seyfarth Shaw$228,367$109.79
    2Kenyon & Kenyon LLP$207,065$99.55
    3Sullivan & Worcester$192,391$92.50
    4Intuitive Surgical$165,053$79.35
    5Intel$144,282$69.37
    6GlobalFoundries$140,418$67.51
    7Harness Dickey$137,032$65.88
    8General Electric$136,932$65.83
    9Mars$129,729$62.37
    10Huntsman$121,802$58.56
    11Esri$118,426$56.94
    12Thermo Fisher Scientific$106,812$51.353
    13Argonne National Laboratory$105,740$50.842
    14Sanofi US$105,155$50.56
    15REVOLUTION Medicines$104,101$50.05
    16Siemens$100,504$48.32
    17PeopleTec$99,701$47.93
    18Early Warning$98,881$47.54
    193M Company$98,275$47.251
    20Two Bulls$89,315$42.94

  4. Writing an intellectual property lawyer job description

    A good intellectual property lawyer job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an intellectual property lawyer job description:

    Intellectual property lawyer job description example

  5. At least 5 years of patent experience (prosecution, BD due diligence, litigation, client counseling, (non-)infringement and (in)validity evaluations/opinions)

  6. At least 2 years of in-house biopharmaceutical industry experience providing IP advice

  7. At least 2 years of experience negotiating and drafting complex IP transaction agreements

  8. For U.S. based candidates, active membership and good standing in a state bar

    9. PREFERRED QUALIFICATION

    • Litigation experience

    • Experience in basic economic, commercial and financial project valorization

    OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO THE POSITION

    The position will be located in Cambridge, MA. Periodic travel is also a requirement - about 5%.

    As a healthcare company and a vaccine manufacturer, Sanofi has an important responsibility to protect individual and public health. All US based roles require individuals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of your job responsibilities.

    Fully vaccinated, according to the CDC, an individual is considered to be “fully vaccinated” fourteen (14) days after receiving (a) the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or (b) the single dose of the J&J vaccine. Fully vaccinated, for new Sanofi employees, is to be fully vaccinated 14 DAYS PRIOR TO START DATE.

    Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

    #GD-SA
    #LI-SA

    At Sanofi diversity and inclusion is foundational to how we operate and embedded in our Core Values. We recognize to truly tap into the richness diversity brings we must lead with inclusion and have a workplace where those differences can thrive and be leveraged to empower the lives of our colleagues, patients and customers. We respect and celebrate the diversity of our people, their backgrounds and experiences and provide equal opportunity for all.

  • Post your job

    To find the right intellectual property lawyer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with intellectual property lawyers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit intellectual property lawyers who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your intellectual property lawyer job on Zippia to find and recruit intellectual property lawyer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.

  • Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit intellectual property lawyers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  • Send a job offer and onboard your new intellectual property lawyer

    Once you've selected the best intellectual property lawyer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new intellectual property lawyer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  • Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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    • How much does it cost to hire an intellectual property lawyer?

    There are different types of costs for hiring intellectual property lawyers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new intellectual property lawyer employee.

    You can expect to pay around $82,730 per year for an intellectual property lawyer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for intellectual property lawyers in the US typically range between $19 and $80 an hour.

    Find better intellectual property lawyers in less time
    Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

    Hiring intellectual property lawyers FAQs

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    Updated December 16, 2025

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