IP & Commercial Counsel
Inertia
Legal
Livermore, CA, USA
Posted on Jan 21, 2026
Location
Livermore
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Business and Operations
Overview:
The IP & Commercial Counsel will support Inertia’s legal needs with a primary focus on intellectual property, while also acting as a generalist attorney for commercial matters. This role is ideal for a hands-on legal professional with experience in hardware and laboratory-based organizations.
This is an incredible opportunity to join Inertia at an early stage, and play a key role in shaping and executing the company’s long-term IP strategy. Reporting to Interia’s Head of Business, the Corporate Counsel role is a full time in-office position, located in our Livermore, CA office.
Primary Responsibilities:
Intellectual Property
Develop, implement, and manage Inertia’s intellectual property strategy in alignment with business and R&D objectives.
Manage relationships with outside counsel.
Coordinate invention disclosures and patent filings in partnership with engineers, scientists, and outside counsel.
Support IP risk assessments, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive landscape reviews.
Educate internal teams on IP best practices, confidentiality, and protection of proprietary information.
Commercial & General Legal
Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, vendor and collaboration agreements.
Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice to support day-to-day operations.
Identify and help mitigate legal and contractual risks while enabling business velocity.
As a fast growing startup, there are corporate matters that will arise, and the IP & Commercial Counsel will need to act as a conduit to outside counsel for more these areas to ensure priority focus on IP & Commercial.
Qualifications:
JD from an accredited law school; active bar membership.
6–8 years of legal experience with IP and commercial contracting.
Experience supporting technology, hardware, energy, or R&D-driven organizations preferred.
Familiarity with patent prosecution processes and working with outside counsel.
Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment and balance legal rigor with practical business judgement.
Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
Salary & Benefits:
We offer market-competitive compensation and an excellent benefits program, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, company-paid holidays, matching 401k, and more!
About Inertia:
Inertia is taking the most direct, scientifically-proven path to commercializing fusion, leveraging the only successful achievement of fusion ignition, using a process that was pioneered at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). With groundbreaking innovation, transformative technology, and multi-year investment, Inertia is committed to commercializing fusion energy in the next decade.