Director, Legal Counsel - Trademarks

Job Description Summary:

We are seeking an experienced Trademark Counsel – Brands & Innovation to join the Global Intellectual Property function of The Coca-Cola Company. This role serves as a key legal partner to the Europe regional marketing, innovation, and operating unit teams, supporting iconic brands across Europe and globally.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Trademarks, this position provides strategic and operational legal leadership across trademark clearance, filing strategy, prosecution, enforcement, brand counseling, and product innovation support. The role works at the intersection of brands, innovation, visual identity, and regulatory collaboration, supporting major marketing campaigns, product launches, and portfolio expansions in close partnership with Operating Unit counsels, Food Law counsel, IP Operations, and business stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned trademark professional with strong EU and international experience, commercial mindset, executive presence, and passion for brands and innovation. This role requires sound legal judgment, strong stakeholder management skills, and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, global environment.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Trademark Strategy, Clearance & Prosecution

• Lead trademark searches, clearance, filing strategies and prosecution across assigned regions and global projects.

• 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.

2. 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.

3. Product Innovation & Claims Support

• Support product innovation initiatives in collaboration with local Operating Unit counsels and Food Law counsel.

• 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.

4. 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.

5. Business Counseling & Commercial Support

• Provide counseling on IP ownership, licensing, due diligence and opinion matters.

• Support global and regional marketing teams on advertising and promotional campaigns.

• Act as trusted advisor to business stakeholders on trademark, brand, and innovation risks and opportunities.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Information Protection & Compliance

• Ensure protection of confidential information shared with third parties.

• Maintain compliance with internal policies and external regulations.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• Law degree with active bar membership in an EU member state.

• 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 of copyright.

• 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.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Opportunity to steward some of the world’s most iconic brands.

• High-impact role supporting global marketing and product innovation.

• Collaborative, purpose-driven legal organization.

• Professional development and international exposure.

• Competitive compensation and benefits.

• Platform to build world-class trademark and brand capabilities at scale.

SUCCESS PROFILE – FIRST 12 MONTHS:

• Establish trusted partnerships with regional marketing, innovation, and Operating Unit legal teams.

• Successfully support priority global and regional brand and product innovation initiatives.

• Deliver consistent trademark clearance and filing strategies.

• Embed brand identity governance and product charter review processes.

• Improve enforcement outcomes and portfolio health.

• Strengthen collaboration with IP Operations on watches and renewals.

• Build strong relationships with outside counsel.

• Demonstrate measurable impact on risk mitigation, brand integrity, and innovation enablement.

OPERATIONAL KPIs

• Trademark clearance turnaround time.

• Filing and prosecution cycle times.

• Enforcement resolution effectiveness.

• Outside counsel budget adherence.

• Portfolio health and renewal accuracy.

• Product innovation support turnaround.

• Stakeholder satisfaction scores.

BEHAVIOR INDICATORS:

- Strategic Counsel - Provides sound legal advice; Shapes brand and innovation strategy through proactive legal insight

- Stakeholder Partnership - Responds to business needs; Anticipates needs and drives enterprise alignment

- Trademark & Brand Expertise - Executes trademark processes; Elevates global brand and trademark standards

- Innovation Enablement - Supports launches; Accelerates innovation with balanced risk frameworks

- Ownership - Delivers assigned matters; Drives enterprise-wide brand protection

- Collaboration - Works well with peers; Builds powerful global networks

- Risk Management - Identifies and mitigates legal risks; Balances innovation with responsible risk-taking at scale.

Skills:

Location(s):

Spain

City/Cities:

Madrid

Travel Required:

00% - 25%

Relocation Provided:

No

Job Posting End Date:

April 17, 2026

Our 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.