Legal Counsel, Patent Attorney
Mistral AI · Palo Alto ·
- Work mode
- Onsite
- Category
- Legal
About Mistral
At Mistral AI, we believe in the power of AI to simplify tasks, save time, and enhance learning and creativity. Our technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into daily working life.
We democratize AI through high-performance, optimized, open-source and cutting-edge models, products and solutions. Our comprehensive AI platform is designed to meet enterprise needs, whether on-premises or in cloud environments. Our offerings include le Chat, the AI assistant for life and work.
We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society.
Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between France, USA, UK, Germany and Singapore. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited.
Join us to be part of a pioneering company shaping the future of AI. Together, we can make a meaningful impact. See more about our culture on .
Role Summary
As our Patent Attorney, you will be at the heart of our innovation strategy, transforming cutting-edge research into a robust and strategic intellectual property portfolio. You will work closely with our world-class research, engineering, and product teams to protect groundbreaking inventions, shape the future of open-source AI, and support the company’s global growth.
The legal team currently comprises 10 persons across Paris and Palo Alto, covering a spectrum of competences across compliance-regulatory, IP, contracts and corporate.
Why Join Us?
Work at the forefront of AI innovation: Collaborate with top minds in the field to protect transformative technologies.
Make a tangible impact: Your patents will help define AI standards and secure Mistral AI’s strategic assets.
Autonomy and bold thinking: Join a fast-growing scale-up where your expertise will shape IP culture and key processes.
Ethical mission: Use patents to advance open science and responsible AI.
Key responsibilities
Invention Harvesting:
• Proactively engage with researchers, engineers, and product managers to identify and prioritize patentable inventions.
• Advise on what to retain as a trade secret and what to file as a patent application.
• Draft invention memos based on interviews, internal product documentation, and scientific papers. Translate complex technical ideas into clear, defensible disclosures.
Patent Drafting and Prosecution:
• Prepare independent claims and manage outside counsel in the drafting and global prosecution of patent applications.
• Supervise office action responses and ensure consistent, high-quality filings.
Inventor Recognition Program:
• Administer and evolve internal inventor incentives, including bonuses, awards, and visibility initiatives.
M&A Due Diligence:
• Support IP due diligence in M&A and strategic investment transactions, including assessment of the IP portfolio, freedom-to-operate risks, and competitive positioning of targets.
Processes and Tools:
• Develop and maintain internal documentation, workflows, and inventor education on the patent process. Build dashboards to track filings, deadlines, and portfolio metrics.
• Recommend and manage internal IP tools, databases, and docketing systems. Oversee analytics and reporting dashboards for the IP portfolio.
Portfolio Strategy and Budget Management:
• Contribute to the development of a global IP strategy aligned with corporate goals.
• Track and manage IP budget and outside counsel performance.
Open Source and Defensive Alliances:
• Align patent strategy with Mistral’s open source objectives.
• Evaluate and recommend participation in patent pools, defensive patent networks, or other industry alliances that support open innovation while protecting core assets.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
• Partner with other legal team members, product, engineering, and research teams to embed IP thinking in the development lifecycle and broader company strategy.
Ideal Candidate Profile
You Must Have ...
Patent expertise:
• Proven experience drafting patents in complex software/AI domains.
• Deep understanding of AI patent eligibility (US & Europe).
• Experience in licensing or litigation (a plus for assessing patent quality).
GenAI literacy:
• Hands-on experience with LLMs (e.g., building agents, technical projects).
• Ability to decode and articulate complex technical concepts (model architectures, training methods).
• Coding skills (Python, etc.) are a strong plus.
Law firm management:
• Experience selecting, managing, and optimizing external patent firms.
Collaboration with inventors:
• Ability to engage with researchers/engineers and extract critical information.
• Talent for explaining IP concepts to non-legal audiences.
Proactive and resourceful:
• Self-driven to anticipate needs, engage stakeholders, and document processes.
In addition, the perfect candidate would have
• Business acumen: Understanding of how patents drive value for a scale-up.
• Open-source knowledge: Familiarity with open-source licenses and their intersection with patents.
• M&A IP due diligence: Experience assessing IP in tech transactions.
Languages
• Fluent English (required for legal/technical writing).French (a plus for day-to-day collaboration).
Benefits
💰 Competitive cash salary and equity
🥕 Food : Daily lunch vouchers
🥎 Sport : Monthly contribution to a Gympass subscription
🚴 Transportation : Monthly contribution to a mobility pass
🧑⚕️ Health : Full health insurance for you and your family
🍼 Parental : Generous parental leave policy
🌎 Visa sponsorship
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