Corporate Counsel-Patent
Posted Jul 29, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about an office action you overcame. What was your argument?
What they are checking: Whether they have actually argued with an examiner and won on substance, which shows real prosecution skill rather than supervision of others' work.
How does your technical background help you in patent work?
What they are checking: Whether their science training lets them understand inventions deeply enough to draft strong claims and talk credibly with the scientists who made them.
What would you do
How do you manage outside counsel so the work is strong and on budget?
What they are checking: Whether they direct outside firms with clear scope and oversight, because in-house counsel are accountable for both the quality and the cost of the work.
A business development team needs a freedom-to-operate view on a licensing target in two weeks. How do you approach it?
What they are checking: Whether they can scope a freedom-to-operate review sensibly under a tight deadline and be honest about what two weeks can and cannot cover.
How do you explain a patent risk to a research scientist in plain terms?
What they are checking: Whether they can make patent risk understandable and useful to scientists, because researchers make decisions every day that affect what can be protected.
About the work
Walk me through how you would build a patent strategy for a new small molecule from discovery to launch.
What they are checking: Whether they can plan protection across a product's whole life, from early filings to exclusivity at launch, because that strategy shapes years of revenue.
How do you decide what claims to pursue in a first filing versus later continuations?
What they are checking: Whether they think deliberately about claim scope and timing, since choices in the first filing can limit or strengthen protection for the whole family.
How would you prepare to defend a key patent in an IPR?
What they are checking: Whether they understand how IPR differs from litigation and can prepare a defense early, because key pharma patents are frequent targets of challenge.
What is your approach to a prior art search, and how do you judge relevance?
What they are checking: Whether they search methodically and judge relevance with care, since a missed reference can undercut a patent or a business decision later.
How do you coordinate filings across Europe, Japan and other jurisdictions?
What they are checking: Whether they understand how rules differ across major patent offices and can coordinate filings so global protection stays consistent and deadlines are met.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by AbbVie.