Role Description
The Lead Counsel will act as lead legal counsel and primary strategic business partner for the External Innovation (EI) team at Zoetis. The position will provide primary legal support for early-stage research and development transactions in the animal health field, including:
drafting, negotiating and advising on various types of agreements (e.g., confidentiality, material transfer, evaluation and option, license, research and development collaboration and research services agreements);
supporting and advising on various types of EI transactions, domestic and cross-border, at all stages, from inception through execution and post-execution, including supporting and advising on (i) potential deal terms / structure and related matters at or prior to the term sheet stage, (ii) due diligence and agreement negotiations and (iii) post-signing contractual matters (e.g., contractual questions, amendments, notices, terminations);
managing legal support requests from, and providing strategic legal advice to multiple business clients in multiple jurisdictions on various research and development transactional and related matters, including frequent touchpoints over email and virtual/in-person meetings and partnering on transaction negotiations;
preparing, updating and managing legal agreement templates, playbooks and internal contract databases; coordinating with internal legal and non-legal specialists; implementing and ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures; and supporting various other project-based assignments and business transaction-related matters; and
supporting the development and deployment of AI-enabled workflows and legal technology tools to enhance efficiency and consistency in EI transaction execution.
This position will:
serve as the dedicated legal resource for the EI team
support a high volume of transactions and related matters, with tight deadlines, for the 10+ business clients on the EI team in multiple jurisdictions;
act as co-lead on deal teams with EI lead / business client, collaborating with multiple colleagues in legal and non-legal functions across the organization and in multiple jurisdictions, including regional legal counsels and legal and non-legal subject matter experts in Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Regulatory, Intellectual Property, Compliance, Tax/Finance and other functions.
The Lead Counsel is expected to:
operate independently on all EI matters with limited oversight from the Senior Counsel, Business Transactions, External Innovation and Integration
have demonstrated experience independently drafting and negotiating complex R&D-related agreements directly with sophisticated domestic and international counterparties, including biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and government-funded entities
serve as a trusted strategic partner to the EI team, providing proactive legal guidance on deal strategy, risk assessment, and transaction structuring.
Responsibilities
Act as lead legal counsel and strategic advisor, independently and with limited oversight, for the EI team
Support a high volume of transactions and related matters for 10+ business clients in multiple jurisdictions
Draft, negotiate and advise on various types of agreements at all stages
Provide strategic legal advice on early-stage R&D transactions and related matters
Support post-signing contract management and alliance management matters, including monitoring obligations, processing amendments, and coordinating terminations
Act as co-lead (with EI lead / business client), collaborating with internal legal and non-legal specialists
Prepare, update and manage legal templates, playbooks and contract databases
Manage and maintain active deal tracker, including deadlines and action items, and provide updates to business clients and legal leadership
Implement and ensure compliance with internal policies and procedures, including Zoetis' Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) policy,…