Director, Counsel Trademarks
Job Description Summary:
The Director, Legal Counsel - Trademarks serves as a strategic business partner responsible for protecting, growing, and enabling the Company’s trademark and brand assets across assigned markets. This role provides legal leadership on trademark strategy, brand development, innovation initiatives, portfolio management, brand protection, and related intellectual property matters, including copyright issues that may arise in connection with branding, marketing, creative content, and innovation initiatives, while partnering closely with marketing, innovation, operating unit legal teams, and global stakeholders.
The position oversees the full trademark lifecycle, including clearance, filing, prosecution, maintenance, enforcement, and portfolio optimization, ensuring that trademark strategies align with business objectives and brand growth priorities. The Director also advises on brand architecture, visual identity, naming strategies, product innovation, claims support, licensing matters, copyright-related considerations, and risk management.
As a trusted advisor to the business, the successful candidate will balance legal risk with commercial objectives, enabling creative and innovative marketing initiatives while safeguarding the integrity of the Company’s brands and other relevant intellectual property assets. The role requires strong cross-functional collaboration, management of outside counsel across multiple jurisdictions, and the ability to lead complex trademark matters within a global environment.
The ideal candidate is an experienced trademark attorney with strong business acumen, excellent stakeholder management skills, international trademark expertise, a working knowledge of copyright principles, and a demonstrated ability to operate independently while influencing diverse teams across markets and functions.
The Director, Legal Counsel - Trademarks serves as a strategic business partner responsible for protecting, growing, and enabling the Company’s trademark and brand assets across assigned markets. This role provides legal leadership on trademark strategy, brand development, innovation initiatives, portfolio management, brand protection, and related intellectual property matters, including copyright issues that may arise in connection with branding, marketing, creative content, and innovation initiatives, while partnering closely with marketing, innovation, operating unit legal teams, and global stakeholders.
The position oversees the full trademark lifecycle, including clearance, filing, prosecution, maintenance, enforcement, and portfolio optimization, ensuring that trademark strategies align with business objectives and brand growth priorities. The Director also advises on brand architecture, visual identity, naming strategies, product innovation, claims support, licensing matters, copyright-related considerations, and risk management.
As a trusted advisor to the business, the successful candidate will balance legal risk with commercial objectives, enabling creative and innovative marketing initiatives while safeguarding the integrity of the Company’s brands and other relevant intellectual property assets. The role requires strong cross-functional collaboration, management of outside counsel across multiple jurisdictions, and the ability to lead complex trademark matters within a global environment.
The ideal candidate is an experienced trademark attorney with strong business acumen, excellent stakeholder management skills, international trademark expertise, a working knowledge of copyright principles, and a demonstrated ability to operate independently while influencing diverse teams across markets and functions.
Trademark Strategy, Clearance &Prosecution
Lead trademark searches, clearance, filing strategies, and prosecution across assigned regions.
Advise on brand creation, naming, packaging, and innovation initiatives.
Develop filing strategies aligned with business priorities and risk profiles.
Oversee lifecycle management of trademarks from application through registration and maintenance.
Brand Counseling, Visual Identity & Portfolio Stewardship
Serve as primary legal advisor on brand identity, visual identity standards, and brand governance for local and regional brands.
Review and support product and brand charters to ensure trademark integrity and alignment with global standards.
Provide counseling on brand architecture, extensions, and portfolio optimization.
Partner with global legal marketing, operating unit counsels, and marketing teams to enable creative excellence while managing trademark risk.
Product Innovation & Claims Support
Support product innovation initiatives in collaboration with local Operating Unit counsels and Food Law counsels.
Review product concepts, brand positioning, and product claims from a trademark and brand integrity perspective.
Advise on innovation pipelines, launch readiness, and naming strategies.
Provide integrated legal guidance across trademarks, branding, and claims.
Brand Protection, Enforcement & Risk Management
Protect Company trademarks through enforcement actions and dilution avoidance strategies.
Manage opposition, cancellation, and infringement matters.
Monitor the beverage and competitive landscape from a trademark and innovation perspective.
Partner with IP Operations on watch notices, renewals and portfolio optimization.
Business Counseling & Commercial Support
Provide counseling on IP ownership, licensing, due diligence and opinion matters.
Support regional marketing teams on advertising and promotional campaigns.
Act as trusted advisor to business stakeholders on trademark, brand, and innovation risks and opportunities.
Outside Counsel & Partner Management
Manage and direct outside counsel across jurisdictions.
Provide strategic guidance and monitor quality and cost-effectiveness.
Approve fee statements and manage budgets.
Stakeholder Engagement & Global Collaboration
Build strong relationships with intellectual property offices, regulators and professional associations.
Collaborate with global trademark colleagues, IP Operations, marketing, innovation, Operating Unit legal teams, Tax, and Food Law counsel.
Support enterprise-wide trademark, brand and innovation governance initiatives.
Information Protection & Compliance
Ensure protection of confidential information shared with third parties.
Maintain compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
Basic Requirements:
English language -fluent
Law degree
8+ years of trademark-focused legal experience, including international portfolio management with preferably no less than 3 years law firm experience
Strong knowledge of global trademark practice and procedures.
Experience supporting product innovation and brand counseling preferred.
Law firm and in-house experience preferred.
Knowledge ofcopyright.
Experience supporting global brands and marketing organizations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong stakeholder management and commercial judgment.
Ability to operate independently and manage complex matters across jurisdictions.
Skills:
Location(s):
MexicoCity/Cities:
MexicoTravel Required:
00% - 25%Relocation Provided:
NoJob Posting End Date:
September 24, 2026Our Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors - curious, empowered, inclusive and agile - and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.