Let's begin! Chief Counsel, IP, Trust & Cyber

At Moodys we unite the brightest minds to turn todays risks into tomorrows opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they arewith the freedom to exchange ideas think innovatively and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways. Moodys is transforming how the world sees risk. As a global leader in ratings and integrated risk assessment were advancing AI to move from insight to actionenabling intelligence that not only understands complexity but responds to it. We decode risk to unlock opportunity helping our clients navigate uncertainty with clarity speed and confidence.

If you are excited about this opportunity but do not meet every single requirement please apply! You still may be a great fit for this role or other open roles. We are seeking candidates who model our values: invest in every relationship lead with curiosity champion diverse perspectives turn inputs into actions and uphold trust through integrity.

The Chief Counsel IP Trust & Cyber serves as Moodys enterprise-level legal leader across intellectual property data privacy cybersecurity and AI governance the critical legal infrastructure underlying the companys technology-driven strategy. This role also supports the firms strategic sourcing function focused primarily on in-bound licensing of critical third party IP and data assets. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer of Moodys Corporation this senior executive sits on the Senior Leadership Team of the Legal and Compliance Organization and leads a global team of specialists across IP privacy cybersecurity technology law and strategic sourcing.

This role serves as a center of excellence for technology-related legal matters across Moodys Investors Service and Moodys Analytics partnering closely with the General Counsel of Moodys Analytics the Chief Procurement Officer and other business-aligned legal leaders to protect the firms significant IP and data assets shape product strategy and advance responsible and compliant deployment of AI and technology. The ideal candidate brings formidable intellectual property expertise particularly in patent copyright and AI / data rights strategy combined with experience in privacy cybersecurity and incident response and the leadership capability to build and direct a world-class global function.

IP Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Lead enterprise-wide intellectual property strategy including the development protection monetization and enforcement of Moodys IP estate across patents trademarks copyrights database rights and trade secrets
• Advise on the governance exploitation and protection of Moodys significant proprietary data assets including financial data credit analytics AI datasets and the companys knowledge graph as core enterprise value drivers
• Oversee IP portfolio management including prosecution strategy portfolio maintenance licensing and cross-licensing arrangements
• Lead the defense of third-party IP claims including patent assertion entity matters copyright infringement claims and trade secret disputes directing both in-house resources and external IP litigation counsel
• Advise on IP aspects of product development licensing structures and M&A transactions partnering with product counsel and transactional legal teams to identify protect and leverage IP value

Privacy Cybersecurity & Data Governance

• Serve as senior legal advisor on privacy data protection and cybersecurity laws and regulations across all jurisdictions in which Moodys operates including GDPR CCPA/CPRA EU AI Act data localization requirements and emerging global frameworks
• Guide the development and maintenance of Moodys global privacy program including privacy-by-design principles data subject rights frameworks vendor data processing agreements and regulatory compliance mechanisms
• Partner with information security technology and risk teams on incident response planning breach notification obligations tabletop exercises regulatory reporting and the legal dimensions of Moodys cybersecurity posture
• Partner with the product counsel teams to provide strategic and actionable advice on privacy and data protection aspects of new products data partnerships and AI-enabled offerings ensuring compliance with global requirements while enabling product innovation to occur with high velocity
• Manage the global data privacy team and guide privacy compliance efforts across all jurisdictions where Moodys operates

AI Data & Trust Governance

• Lead Moodys legal strategy for AI governance interpreting and applying the EU AI Act SEC guidance emerging International U.S. federal and state AI frameworks and other relevant regulations to Moodys AI development and deployment activities
• Advise on AI-related legal risks including training data rights and sourcing model output liability intellectual property infringement data leakage transparency and explainability obligations
• Work with Enterprise Risk and business leaders to build and maintain a comprehensive AI governance program consistent with applicable laws that thoughtfully balances risk management with Moodys commitment to responsible AI-driven innovation
• Support enterprise efforts to build and maintain customer trust and regulatory credibility through governance frameworks that position Moodys as a global leader in responsible AI deployment

Strategic Sourcing

• Lead Moodys legal support for the enterprise-wide sourcing function with an emphasis on strategic and IP and data related transactions
• Partner with the Procurement office to provide counsel on sourcing-related legal issues develop playbooks and workflows and negotiation and drafting support on high-value strategic transactions

Enterprise Advisory & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as principal legal advisor to Moodys engineering data science product and information security teams on technology-related legal matters providing clear pragmatic guidance that enables teams to move quickly while managing risk
• Provide IP subject matter expertise and support to commercial product and M&A legal teams across Moodys Investors Service and Moodys Analytics
• Advise on IP data and technology legal issues arising in the context of strategic investments partnerships and acquisitions
• Represent Legal in enterprise governance forums technology steering committees and strategic initiatives

Regulatory Monitoring & Policy

• Monitor IP AI privacy and cybersecurity regulatory developments globally proactively advising leadership on legal and compliance implications and positioning Moodys for effective and timely regulatory response
• Establish and maintain legal standards policies and playbooks for IP privacy cybersecurity and AI across the enterprise ensuring consistent application and continuous improvement

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead develop and inspire a global team of specialists across intellectual property privacy cybersecurity and technology law
• Build scalable frameworks tools and knowledge management systems to support consistent high-quality legal advice across a geographically distributed team
• Manage relationships with external IP litigation counsel privacy advisors and other specialized outside counsel ensuring quality efficiency and strategic alignment
• Champion a culture of excellence curiosity collaboration and responsible innovation within the team and across the broader legal organization

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active bar membership in good standing
• 15 years of relevant combined experience at a leading law firm and/or as in-house corporate counsel with a substantial focus on intellectual property and technology law
• Deep expertise in IP strategy and portfolio management including patent prosecution and strategy copyright database rights and trade secret protection with experience in software data and/or analytics-driven businesses
• Significant experience in privacy and data protection law including practical application of GDPR CCPA/CPRA and related frameworks in a global business context
• Demonstrated experience advising on cybersecurity legal issues including incident response regulatory obligations and data security governance
• Meaningful experience with AI and technology governance including advising on AI legal risk responsible AI frameworks and emerging regulatory requirements
• Track record of leading enterprise-level legal programs and building and managing high-performing globally distributed legal teams
• Strong understanding of software data and analytics-driven business models and the IP and data asset considerations that drive competitive advantage in these sectors

Preferred

• Technical undergraduate degree (computer science engineering mathematics or a related field) or equivalent technical fluency
• Demonstrated depth in patent strategy and prosecution oversight
• Experience advising financial services financial technology or information services companies on IP data and AI matters
• Prior in-house leadership experience at a company with significant proprietary data and analytics assets

KEY SUCCESS ATTRIBUTES

• Formidable IP and technology law expertise combined with sound business judgment and pragmatism
• Ability to translate complex technical legal and regulatory issues into clear actionable guidance for business engineering and product leaders

For US-based roles only: the anticipated hiring base salary range for this position is$280500.00-$406650.00 depending on factors such as experience education level skills and location. This range is based on a full-time addition to base salary this role is eligible for incentive compensation. Moodys also offers a competitive benefits package including not but limited to medical dental vision parental leave paid time off a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities life disability and accident insurance a discounted employee stock purchase plan and tuition reimbursement.

Moodys is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color sex gender age religion or creed national origin ancestry citizenship marital or familial statussexual orientation gender identity gender expression genetic information physical or mental disability military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Moodys also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about a reasonable accommodation or need assistance with completing the application process please email . This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications

For San Francisco positions qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

This position may be considered a promotional opportunity pursuant to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.

Click here to view our full EEO policy statement. Click here for more information on your EEO rights under the law. Click here to view our Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination statement.

Candidates for Moodys Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moodys Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.