Intellectual Property Counsel*

Job Description:

Intellectual Property Counsel

Collaborate with Innovative 3Mers Around the World

Choosing where to start and grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company that you choose to work at, and its leaders, will support and guide you. With a wide variety of people, global locations, technologies and products, 3M is a place where you can collaborate with other curious, creative 3Mers.

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career.

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role

As an Intellectual Property Counsel, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. Here, you will make an impact by:

• Prepare patent applications and prosecute patents globally

• Handle opposition, IPR, and litigation-related support activities in IP disputes

• Act as direct contact for and interact with business clients, outside counsel, and international colleagues

• Perform legal and factual research

• Provides legal services in the areas of dispute management, transaction services, compliance, advice and counsel, intellectual property or other specialized areas as assigned, and supervision/leadership.

• Works independently on matters of significant complexity or importance.

• Provides legal services to medium to large complex businesses.

• Leads transactional processes for transactions of significant impact and/or complexity.

• Can manage litigation and other forms of dispute resolution for significant matters, and can formulate strategies for dispute resolution.

• Typically, is a subject matter expert in some area of law and has responsibilities beyond a single business unit or country.

• Other duties as assigned

Your Skills and Expertise 
To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start).

• Juris Doctorate degree (completed and verified prior to start)

• A Member of a United States bar in good standing and Registered to Practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

• Two (2) years of law firm and /or in-house intellectual property experience in a private, public, government or military environment.

Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:

• Exposure to litigation and other patent disputes
• Experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications globally

• Admitted to practice in Minnesota or eligible for admission within six months of employment

• Strong academic credentials

• Business acumen and an ability to provide legal advice in the context of strategic business initiatives and goals

• Highly effective written and verbal communications skills, with an ability to communicate and relate at all levels of the organization including business line leaders, regional heads and senior management

• Results-orientated approach; personal and organizational accountability; and a collegial work style

• High energy and a dedication to responsive client service

Work location: This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in  Maplewood, MN

Travel: May include up to 10% domestic

Relocation Assistance: Is not authorized

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status).

Responsibilities of this position may include direct and/or indirect physical or logical access to information, systems, technologies subjected to the regulations/compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws.

U.S. Export Control laws and U.S. Government Department of Defense contracts and sub-contracts impose certain restrictions on companies and their ability to share export-controlled and other technology and services with certain "non-U.S. persons" (persons who are not U.S. citizens or nationals, lawful permanent residents of the U.S., refugees, "Temporary Residents" (granted Amnesty or Special Agricultural Worker provisions), or persons granted asylum.

To comply with these laws, 3M must help assess candidates' U.S. person status.

The questions asked in this application are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this particular position.

Supporting Your Well-being 

3M offers many programs to help you live your best life – both physically and financially. To ensure competitive pay and benefits, 3M regularly benchmarks with other companies that are comparable in size and scope. 

Chat with Max

For assistance with searching through our current job openings or for more information about all things 3M, visit Max, our virtual recruiting

Applicable to US Applicants Only:The expected compensation range for this position is $145,676 - $178,049, which includes base pay plus variable incentive pay, if eligible. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. In addition, this position may be eligible for a range of benefits (e.g., Medical, Dental & Vision, Health Savings Accounts, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Voluntary Benefits, Paid Absences and Retirement Benefits, etc.). Additional information is available at: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/.

Good Faith Posting Date Range 05/09/2026 To 06/08/2026 Or until filled

All US-based 3M full time employees will need to sign an employee agreement as a condition of employment with 3M. This agreement lays out key terms on using 3M Confidential Information and Trade Secrets. It also has provisions discussing conflicts of interest and how inventions are assigned. Employees that are Job Grade 7 or equivalent and above may also have obligations to not compete against 3M or solicit its employees or customers, both during their employment, and for a period after they leave 3M.

Learn more about 3M’s creative solutions to the world’s problems at www.3M.com or on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @3M.

Responsibilities of this position include that corporate policies, procedures and security standards are complied with while performing assigned duties.

Safety is a core value at 3M. All employees are expected to contribute to a strong Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) culture by following safety policies, identifying hazards, and engaging in continuous improvement.

Pay & Benefits Overview: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/careers-us/working-at-3m/benefits/

3M does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Please note: your application may not be considered if you do not provide your education and work history, either by: 1) uploading a resume, or 2) entering the information into the application fields directly.

3M Global Terms of Use and Privacy Statement

Carefully read these Terms of Use before using this website. Your access to and use of this website and application for a job at 3M are conditioned on your acceptance and compliance with these terms.

Please click on the following links and select the country where you are applying for employment to review the applicable Terms of Use (link here) and Privacy Policy (link here). Before submitting your application, you will be asked to confirm your agreement with the terms.