General Counsel

Whisker, formerly known as AutoPets, is the maker of Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox.com. At Whisker, we believe pet parenthood can always get better.

As leading innovators in pet tech and refined pet accessories, we work tirelessly to solve problems and deliver smarter insights for pet parents while enriching the lives of pets. Whether it’s a self-cleaning litter box that automates scooping, an automatic feeder that helps pets develop healthier eating habits, or a modern cat tree that delights both humans and felines, we strive to deliver better solutions for consumers, transforming pet care along the way. And we don’t rest once we’ve created the best—we exist to make life for pets and pet parents endlessly better. If we sound like a team you would like to join, keep reading!

Whisker is based in Auburn Hills, Michigan and Juneau, Wisconsin with 300+ passionate employees.

Whisker is seeking its first General Counsel to oversee all things legal with a specific focus on advertising law, trademark & copyright portfolio, other IP matters, and regulatory compliance (e.g., labeling, Prop 65). The in-house General Counsel will also oversee our patent portfolio and prosecution matters with outside counsel – you do not need to be a patent attorney. Longer-term, this role will build our legal team in-house to support our growing IP portfolio and business initiatives.

Candidates should have a very strong background in IP and related advertising law matters, and ideally have experience with Chinese IP theft matters for copyright, trademark and patent issues.

Bilingual in Mandarin / Traditional Chinese is a plus.

Notable responsibilities include:

IP Management: Management, protection and expansion of our trademark, copyright & patent portfolio, including protecting our existing portfolio across the web in countries around the world and in multiple languages.

Advertising and Regulatory Law: Stay abreast of legal developments in terms of what information can or must be included on our product packaging, website and advertising materials.

General Legal Matter Management: Oversee all legal and business matters for Whisker.

This is a senior leadership position at Whisker, overseeing all things legal. Whisker has a team of outside counsel with various specialties that will assist in bringing the General Counsel up to speed on various issues. Over time, this individual will develop a larger in-house legal department alongside continued outside counsel support.

Summary:

The in-house General Counsel will be responsible for all legal matters with a specific focus on advertising law, trademark & copyright portfolio, other IP matters, and regulatory compliance (e.g., labeling, Prop 65). The General Counsel will also help to oversee our patent portfolio and prosecution matters with outside counsel – you do not need to be a patent attorney. Longer-term, this role will build our legal team in-house to support our growing IP portfolio and business initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities:

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities, as deemed necessary.

IP Protection

Prosecute and defend our domestic and international IP portfolio as we expand our business globally. You will have the support of outside counsel for patent law: defense & prosecution. Our primary focus for in-house counsel is on copyright, trademark and advertising law, where you will also have the support of outside counsel as needed.

Copyright law

Trademark law

Patent law

Domain name protection

Protection for all new robot lines in development: building its IP strategy

Formal development of an internal IP practice alongside the engineering team, working to include IP development and expansion into our engineering processes with outside counsel

Helping the company through a rebranding process from an IP standpoint: trademark/copyrights

Protection for our new furniture lines and other non-robotic products: IP protection

Advertising Law

Advise leadership and the organization in advertising law matters domestically and internationally. The General Counsel will ensure all marketing materials, across all channels, meet advertising regulations.

International expansion regulatory

False Advertising

FTC Compliance

CAN-SPAM Act, CASL Law and other applicable international laws

Product Packaging

Business Law

Counsel and defend Whisker in all business law matters. Represent Whisker in various business transactions as needed. You will be the Subject Matter Expert that leadership will rely on to ensure Whisker is protected and compliant. Your expertise in existing laws, new laws and legal rights that would affect the functionality of the business will be invaluable.

Commercial Litigation

Corporate Governance

Local, State and Federal Regulation and Compliance

Distributor agreements

Retail agreements

Real estate agreements

International business expansion

Regulatory Compliance

Manage and ensure Whisker remains compliant with all regulatory requirements to keep the business running smoothly. Partner with the leadership team to communicate domestic and international regulatory updates and changes.

ADA Law

GDPR

CCPA

California Prop 62

TCPA / SMS regulatory

Contest and Sweepstakes Rules and Terms and Conditions

Email SPAM regulatory compliance

Website agreements:

Terms of Service

Privacy policies

Terms of Use

End User License Agreement

Marketplace Management

Protect Whisker from unauthorized and illegal actions from competitors and infringers across various marketplaces. You will champion our business and insulate Whisker from potential harm.

Cease & desist letters

Brand protection

False advertising from incumbents

Cybersecurity

Whisker's ecommerce business structure relies on our customers’ trust. Protecting their information, privacy and data will be crucial in maintaining the integrity of the customer relationship. You will make certain that current and future practices maintain customer protection.

Proactive protection for our customers

Data protection

Data Security Breach Notification Plan

Internet Advertising

Ensure Whisker internet advertising adheres to all pertinent regulations. Work closely with the Marketing leadership team regarding any legal implications as marketing campaigns are developed and launched.

Advertiser & affiliate agreements

Marketing partnership oversight

New marketing vendor agreements

SAAS agreement management

Sponsorship Agreements

Ecommerce

Whisker's ecommerce business model will be expanding to future marketplaces as well as scaling our D2C efforts. The General Counsel will support and defend Whisker in these new areas.

Launch of new company websites: copyright & trademark

Amazon - Account, Listing and Arbitration

Brand Protection

Infringement

Requirements & Qualifications

Licensed Attorney: Member in good standing of any US State Bar Association

J.D. degree from an accredited college or university

10+ years combined experience working as an IP or Internet Law attorney for a firm and/or in-house at a company with relevant experience

Experience in-house or law firm representing Ecommerce organizations

Expansive knowledge of global trademark and internet law regulations

Strong computer skills including an ability to actively learn and utilize software such as MS Office, the USPTO's EFS, and parent company's IP docket management database

Experience managing external patent attorneys

Experience with IP-related agreements, such as nondisclosure, licensing, Open Source Counseling, litigation support, supplier and development agreements; M&A-related IP matters is preferred

Over time, grows and develops an in-house legal department

Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information

Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions

High degree of initiative, self-motivation and ability to motivate others

Ability to provide a working atmosphere that is positive and productive

Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with team members and colleagues

Not Required but nice to have!

Bilingual in Mandarin / Traditional Chinese is a plus.

Not required to have pets, but highly recommended!

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The team member frequently is required to use hands to handle or feel. The team member is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The team member must continuously lift and/or move up to 35 pounds and occasionally up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.