Jobs / United States / Lyft INC
Counsel, Patents & IP
Lyft INC · 🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 75 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 99 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Lyft INC
The US Department of Labor certified 75 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 99 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Lyft INC →
About the role
At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive. This position will manage Lyft's patent function — driving the strategy and day-to-day management of our patent portfolio — while also advising on the company's approach to open source, reviewing technical publications before they go external, and serving as a trusted advisor on IP questions across the business. This position will report to the Senior Director, Associate General Counsel, IP. Beyond the legal chops, we're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys building relationships — you'll spend as much time with engineers and researchers as you will with lawyers, so a warm, curious, low-ego style goes a long way here. We value people who can make patent law feel approachable rather than intimidating, who bring a sense of humor to a fast-moving environment, and who are as excited about celebrating an inventor's first disclosure as they are about closing out a tricky filing decision. This is a great opportunity for someone to come in and manage the patent function at Lyft, working on cutting-edge issues spanning Lyft's global expansion, Lyft Urban Solutions' mobility hardware and software business, and supporting the deployment and expansion of autonomous vehicles on Lyft's network. Responsibilities: • Own the patent portfolio end to end for the company — invention harvesting, invention disclosure meetings, portfolio mining, and directing patent application preparation and prosecution by outside patent counsel. • Drive patent strategy and drive filing, continuation, and abandonment decisions based on technical merit, competitive landscape, and cost, and own portfolio health and reporting against product roadmaps. • Counsel and collaborate with engineering on open source license review and approval for inbound and outbound open source, including license compatibility and compliance risk. • Review papers, blog posts, conference talks, and other public technical disclosures for IP and confidentiality risk and relevant counseling. • Provide broad-based strategic and portfolio advice as well as counseling key stakeholders in protecting and defending IP rights worldwide. • Support IP diligence for partnerships, M&A, and vendor relationships. • Train and educate product and engineering teams in intellectual property matters, and build tools, policies, and processes that scale with the business. Experience: • 5+ years of patent prosecution experience in a relevant area; in-house patent portfolio building/management experience a plus. • Experience advising on open source license compliance. • Must be a member of the Patent Bar and have substantial understanding of patent law outside of litigation. • Must be proactive, self-directed, detail oriented, organized, and have exceptional communication skills. • Adaptable and positive under shifting priorities, with the flexibility to move between deep legal work and lighter-touch, high-volume counseling on any given day. • Demonstrate AI fluency and comfort using AI tools in day-to-day work. • JD required. • BS or MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent technical field. • State bar membership. • Eligible to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office. • Sense of humor and comfort with shifting priorities. Benefits: • Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled • Mental health benefits • Family building benefits • Child care and pet benefits • 401(k) plan with company match to help save for your future • In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have discretionary paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days