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.