TN Visa Intellectual Property Attorney Jobs
Intellectual Property Attorney roles qualify for TN visa sponsorship under USMCA for Canadian and Mexican lawyers with a law degree and bar admission. U.S. patent prosecution, trademark registration, and licensing work all fall within scope. Canadians can apply at the port of entry without a cap; Mexican nationals require a consular appointment.
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Company Description
Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant® is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.
Guardant Health, Inc. is seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Intellectual Property Counsel to join its IP Team. As a member of the IP Team, you will be responsible for providing guidance on a wide range of IP and general legal matters related to the cancer diagnostics field. You will combine your legal and technical knowledge to implement and execute the company’s IP strategy for Guardant’s growing patent portfolio. The technology you will be exposed to is critical to Guardant’s mission of improving the lives of cancer patients.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
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Continue to build and manage a global patent portfolio, including preparing and prosecuting patent applications, identifying strategic areas for patenting, harvesting patentable inventions, and evaluating the patentability of invention submissions.
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Collaborate with other members of the IP Team to develop and advise on global patent and IP strategy.
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Perform infringement and validity analyses and evaluate risk mitigation strategies.
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Develop relationships with, counsel and educate scientists and other employees on patent-related matters.
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Partner with relevant stakeholders across the company to provide strategic IP counseling with respect to research and product development.
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Oversee and coordinate with outside counsel as necessary with respect to IP protection.
Qualifications
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Juris Doctorate from a nationally accredited law school.
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Registration with the USPTO and a member of a state bar.
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Advanced degree in Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology; Cancer Genomics, Genetics, Statistics or similar field preferred.
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7+ years of relevant patent prosecution experience at a law firm or in-house position.
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Experience with drafting, prosecuting, and reviewing invention disclosures and patent applications focused on methods for analyzing genomic data from diagnostic next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays.
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Familiarity with library preparation methods used to generate NGS data, including targeted sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, methylation sequencing, or RNA-seq.
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Understanding of algorithms and tools used in cancer genomics (e.g., sequence alignment, variant calling).
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Excellent communicator, project manager, and team player.
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Strong interpersonal skills and be willing to work closely with scientists, managers, and employee teams.
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Adaptable, flexible, and creative in a rapidly changing environment.
AI & Digital Fluency
Demonstrate curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to critically evaluate and responsibly leverage AI-enabled tools in accordance with company policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of work.
Hybrid Work Model: This section is applicable to onsite employees who are eligible for hybrid work location as specified by management and related policies. Guardant has defined days for in-person/onsite collaboration and work-from-home days for individual-focused time. All U.S. employees who live within 50 miles of a Guardant facility will be required to be onsite on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We have found aligning our scheduled in-office days allows our teams to do the best work and creates the focused thinking time our innovative work requires. At Guardant, our work model has created flexibility for better work-life balance while keeping teams connected to advance our science for our patients.
The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. This range does not include benefits or, if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, education, job-related skills, job duties, and business need.
Primary Location: Remote-USA-CA
Primary Location Base Pay Range: $170,730 - $234,765
Other US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $161,245 - $221,723
If the role is performed in Colorado, the pay range for this job is: $170,730 - $234,765
Employee may be required to lift routine office supplies and use office equipment. Majority of the work is performed in a desk/office environment; however, there may be exposure to high noise levels, fumes, and biohazard material in the laboratory environment. Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
Guardant Health is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our hiring processes for candidates with disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health conditions, or sincerely held religious beliefs. If you need support, please reach out to Peopleteam@guardanthealth.com.
A background screening including criminal history is required for this role. GH will consider qualified applicants with criminal arrest or conviction histories in a manner consistent with applicable law including but not limited to the LA County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Guardant Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
To learn more about the information collected when you apply for a position at Guardant Health, Inc. and how it is used, please review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding TN Visa Sponsorship as an Intellectual Property Attorney
Verify your bar admission transfers cleanly
TN visa sponsorship for IP attorneys requires active bar membership, but U.S. employers often want admission in the state where the role is based. Confirm whether your Canadian or Mexican bar credentials satisfy that requirement before applying.
Target patent-heavy firms with prosecution backlogs
Law firms and corporate legal departments with large patent portfolios often have experience with visa sponsorship and understand the process for supporting international hires. Focus on employers whose practice areas align with your technical background, whether biotech, software, or mechanical engineering. For Canadian citizens, these employers are typically prepared to write the support letter needed for TN status at the port of entry; for Mexican citizens, they understand the consulate application process.
Frame your technical degree as a competitive asset
Patent prosecution roles require a science or engineering undergraduate degree alongside your law credentials. Highlighting that combination in your application materials directly addresses what TN-sponsoring employers need most in IP attorneys.
Clarify the TN offer letter scope with your employer
The TN offer letter must describe your duties in terms that match the attorney category under USMCA. Ask your employer to confirm the job description specifies legal services, not general business consulting, before any filing or port-of-entry admission.
Search verified TN-sponsoring employers through Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter IP attorney roles by employers with recent visa filings, so you spend time on opportunities where the employer is already experienced with visa sponsorship rather than educating them about work visa processes.
Prepare for Mexican nationals' consular appointment timing
Unlike Canadians who receive TN status at the border, Mexican IP attorneys apply through a U.S. consulate. Build at least six to eight weeks into your timeline for a consular appointment, document review, and visa stamp issuance before your start date.
Intellectual Property Attorney TN Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does the TN visa cover all types of IP attorney work?
TN status covers attorneys providing legal services, which includes patent prosecution, trademark filing, licensing negotiations, and IP litigation support. The role must fall under the attorney or lawyer category in USMCA Appendix 2. Roles framed as business consulting or strategic advising rather than legal practice can create classification problems at the border or consulate.
How does TN compare to H-1B for IP attorney roles?
TN has no annual cap and no lottery, so Canadian IP attorneys can secure status at a port of entry on the day they need it. H-1B visa requires winning a lottery with a roughly 25% selection rate and waiting up to a year before starting work. For most Canadian and Mexican IP attorneys with a qualifying offer, TN is a faster and more predictable path.
Do I need USPTO registration to qualify for TN as a patent attorney?
USPTO registration is not a USMCA requirement for TN classification, but many U.S. employers hiring for patent prosecution roles will require it as a job condition. If you're registered to practice before the USPTO as a patent agent or attorney, include that credential explicitly in your application because it strengthens the specialty occupation argument for your role.
Where can I find IP attorney roles with confirmed TN sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lists IP attorney positions from employers who have an established history of TN sponsorship, so you can identify which law firms and corporate legal departments already understand the process. That matters because employers unfamiliar with TN often confuse it with H-1B sponsorship requirements, which delays or derails offers.
Can I switch IP employers on TN status without losing work authorization?
Yes, but TN status is employer-specific. You cannot start working for a new firm under your existing TN approval. Canadians can get new TN status at a port of entry on their last day with the previous employer. Mexican nationals need a new consular appointment and visa stamp, so build transition time into any job change negotiation.