Principal Counsel Jobs
Principal Counsel jobs are open across corporate legal departments, financial services, healthcare, technology, and government agencies, from senior associate to VP-level general counsel roles, with specializations in litigation, regulatory compliance, and transactions. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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At ZOLL, we're passionate about improving patient outcomes and helping save lives.
We provide innovative technologies that make a meaningful difference in people's lives. Our medical devices, software and related services are used worldwide to diagnose and treat patients suffering from serious cardiopulmonary and respiratory conditions.
Job Summary
The Principal Intellectual Property Counsel will join its growing team of in-house IP professionals. This role will be located at ZOLL's headquarters in Chelmsford, and be primarily responsible for preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the United States and overseas for its Cardiac Management Solutions Division, including the ZOLL TherOx subsidiary. The candidate will have leading responsibility for managing a multi-faceted patent portfolio, including managing external counsel, be a key interface with business leaders for strategic IP matters, engineers and technical staff in the identification, collection and review of ideas for patentability. The position will report to ZOLL's Senior Intellectual Property Counsel for the Cardiac Management Solutions Division.
Essential Functions
Strategic patent portfolio management including interfacing with business leaders concerning IP matters, preparation and prosecution of patent applications, managing brainstorming sessions, preparation of new ideas for consideration by ZOLL’s IP review committee, product clearance and intellectual property due diligence. Have in-depth technical and patent expertise in areas of strategic importance to ZOLL.
Required/Preferred Education and Experience
Bachelor's Degree required
JD required
10+ years of relevant experience required
At least 5-10 years’ experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications with a law firm or corporation
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Must be admitted to at least one state bar
Must be registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Must have a background in electrical, electronics and/or software engineering. Background in Medical Devices is a plus.
Must have previous experience in strategic management of patent portfolios
Prior experience as in-house counsel or maintaining a well-rounded IP practice preferred (e.g., strategic IP counseling and/or supporting IP aspects of corporate matters)
Must be able to draft patent applications in coordination with inventors
Ability to understand, analyze, and communicate complex technologies in oral and written form
Strong interpersonal skills
Some experience with intellectual property due diligence and product clearance is preferred
Experience as a Patent Examiner and/or patent searcher is preferred
Some experience managing a trademark portfolio is preferred
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Standing - Occasionally
Walking - Occasionally
Sitting - Constantly
Talking - Occasionally
Hearing - Occasionally
Repetitive Motions - Frequently
ZOLL is a fast-growing company that operates in more than 140 countries around the world. Our employees are inspired by a commitment to make a difference in patients' lives, and our culture values innovation, self-motivation and an entrepreneurial spirit. Join us in our efforts to improve outcomes for underserved patients suffering from critical cardiopulmonary conditions and help save more lives.
#LI-AD1
The annual salary for this position is:
$181,600.00 to $200,000.00This position is eligible for an annual bonus in accordance with the company's bonus plan. Factors which may affect starting salary include geography, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate. Details of ZOLL's comprehensive benefits plans can be found at www.zollbenefits.com.
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until this position is filled. For fully remote positions, compensation will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local wage laws, including minimum wage requirements, based on the employee’s primary work location.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
ADA: The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
At ZOLL, we're passionate about improving patient outcomes and helping save lives.
We provide innovative technologies that make a meaningful difference in people's lives. Our medical devices, software and related services are used worldwide to diagnose and treat patients suffering from serious cardiopulmonary and respiratory conditions.
Job Summary
The Principal Intellectual Property Counsel will join its growing team of in-house IP professionals. This role will be located at ZOLL's headquarters in Chelmsford, and be primarily responsible for preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the United States and overseas for its Cardiac Management Solutions Division, including the ZOLL TherOx subsidiary. The candidate will have leading responsibility for managing a multi-faceted patent portfolio, including managing external counsel, be a key interface with business leaders for strategic IP matters, engineers and technical staff in the identification, collection and review of ideas for patentability. The position will report to ZOLL's Senior Intellectual Property Counsel for the Cardiac Management Solutions Division.
Essential Functions
Strategic patent portfolio management including interfacing with business leaders concerning IP matters, preparation and prosecution of patent applications, managing brainstorming sessions, preparation of new ideas for consideration by ZOLL’s IP review committee, product clearance and intellectual property due diligence. Have in-depth technical and patent expertise in areas of strategic importance to ZOLL.
Required/Preferred Education and Experience
Bachelor's Degree required
JD required
10+ years of relevant experience required
At least 5-10 years’ experience in preparing and prosecuting patent applications with a law firm or corporation
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Must be admitted to at least one state bar
Must be registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Must have a background in electrical, electronics and/or software engineering. Background in Medical Devices is a plus.
Must have previous experience in strategic management of patent portfolios
Prior experience as in-house counsel or maintaining a well-rounded IP practice preferred (e.g., strategic IP counseling and/or supporting IP aspects of corporate matters)
Must be able to draft patent applications in coordination with inventors
Ability to understand, analyze, and communicate complex technologies in oral and written form
Strong interpersonal skills
Some experience with intellectual property due diligence and product clearance is preferred
Experience as a Patent Examiner and/or patent searcher is preferred
Some experience managing a trademark portfolio is preferred
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Standing - Occasionally
Walking - Occasionally
Sitting - Constantly
Talking - Occasionally
Hearing - Occasionally
Repetitive Motions - Frequently
ZOLL is a fast-growing company that operates in more than 140 countries around the world. Our employees are inspired by a commitment to make a difference in patients' lives, and our culture values innovation, self-motivation and an entrepreneurial spirit. Join us in our efforts to improve outcomes for underserved patients suffering from critical cardiopulmonary conditions and help save more lives.
#LI-AD1
The annual salary for this position is:
$181,600.00 to $200,000.00This position is eligible for an annual bonus in accordance with the company's bonus plan. Factors which may affect starting salary include geography, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate. Details of ZOLL's comprehensive benefits plans can be found at www.zollbenefits.com.
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until this position is filled. For fully remote positions, compensation will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local wage laws, including minimum wage requirements, based on the employee’s primary work location.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
ADA: The employer will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
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Find Principal Counsel JobsPrincipal Counsel Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal counsel jobs.
- Juris Doctor degree and active bar admission in at least one state
- Eight or more years of relevant legal experience in a corporate or government setting
- Deep subject matter expertise in a defined practice area such as employment, regulatory, or M&A
- Experience advising C-suite or board-level stakeholders on legal risk and strategy
- Ability to manage outside counsel relationships and control legal spend
- Strong written and oral advocacy skills demonstrated in negotiations or regulatory proceedings
Tips for Your Principal Counsel Job Search
Tailor your resume to practice area
Principal counsel roles are almost always practice-specific, so your resume needs to foreground the right specialty up front. If the role is regulatory, lead with agency interactions and enforcement matters, not deal closings.
Highlight cross-functional leadership experience
Employers at this level expect you to partner with business units, not just respond to legal requests. Name the teams you advised and the business outcomes your legal guidance helped shape, not just the matters you handled.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal counsel openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare for board and executive presentations
Many principal counsel interviews include a scenario where you brief a hypothetical executive or board. Rehearse explaining complex legal risk in plain language with a clear recommendation, not a summary of legal options.
Demonstrate your bar admissions strategically
If you're admitted in multiple states or federally, list each admission and the practice context where it matters. Some employers specifically need coverage in a particular jurisdiction and filter candidates on that basis.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
At the principal counsel level, the reporting structure and decision-making authority vary enormously between employers. Ask directly whether the role reports to a general counsel, a business unit head, or the board, and what matters you'll own independently.
Principal Counsel Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal counsels?
The companies hiring the most principal counsels right now include L3Harris, Microsoft, and Apple, with the largest share of openings in California, Maryland, and Washington, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Financial services, healthcare systems, and large technology companies consistently post the most volume at this level.
How many principal counsel jobs are remote?
About 75% of principal counsel openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though fully on-site roles remain common for positions tied to regulated industries or government clients. Transactional and compliance-focused roles tend to offer more location flexibility than litigation-facing or government affairs positions that require in-person court or agency appearances.
How do you become a principal counsel?
You typically start by earning a Juris Doctor, passing the bar in your target jurisdiction, and spending several years in a law firm or in-house role building deep expertise in a defined practice area. From there, you move into progressively senior in-house positions, demonstrate the ability to manage risk independently and advise executives, and take on direct management of legal teams or outside counsel relationships until you reach the principal or senior counsel tier.
Can you get a principal counsel job without in-house experience?
It's uncommon but possible if your law firm experience is directly relevant to what the employer handles day to day. Candidates coming from firm practice need to show they already understand business context, not just legal doctrine, and that they can operate without the structure of a law firm support system. Specialized regulatory or litigation backgrounds often translate well when the employer faces the same issues the candidate handled on the outside.
What does the principal counsel interview process look like?
Most principal counsel processes run three to five rounds and include a screening call with HR or talent acquisition, a substantive interview with the general counsel or chief legal officer, and working sessions with business unit leaders you'd advise. Some employers add a written exercise asking you to analyze a legal scenario and present a recommendation. References and bar verification typically come at the final stage before an offer is extended.
Where can I find and apply to principal counsel jobs?
You can find and apply to principal counsel jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your practice area and seniority, then apply directly to each listing that fits your background.
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Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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