Senior Attorney (Contractor Role)
Trestle Law is a modern intellectual property and business law firm. We work with founders, creators, and brand-driven businesses: clients who treat their IP as a strategic asset, not a checkbox. We are not a high-volume filing shop. We provide strategic counsel that helps clients protect, structure, and monetize what they've built.
We are engaging an experienced contract attorney to handle high-level matters across IP, business, and select federal litigation.
To Apply:
Submit your resume and a cover letter (under 200 words) about a matter you owned from start to finish and the decision in it that mattered most. We won't review applications without the note.
REQUIRED: CALIFORNIA BAR ADMISSION
Responsibilities
How the Engagement Works:
Independent contract attorney engagement at $150/hour, $50/hour for any administrative tasks, invoiced monthly
Volume starts around 10-20 hours per week, with opportunity to grow
You set your own working hours. We need reliable availability during Pacific business hours for client calls, deadlines, and time-sensitive turnaround
Time tracked in Clio in 0.1-hour increments
What You'll Work On:
Matters across business, IP, and select federal litigation, including trademark and copyright disputes, TTAB proceedings, licensing, and commercial contracts
Client counseling on brand protection, monetization, contract negotiation, and dispute strategy
Drafting and negotiating licensing, commercial, and brand-related agreements
Case strategy with the managing attorney
What Matters to Us:
Judgment and quality of work product
Responsiveness and turnaround on deadline-driven work
Clear communication: knowing when to ask, when to decide, and how to keep clients and the managing attorney informed
Ownership: matters move forward without anyone having to chase them
Efficiency on fixed-fee matters
Qualifications
Who You Are:
8+ years of practice, with substantive experience in IP, business, and commercial litigation
California bar in good standing
Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with a track record of moving complex matters efficiently
Comfortable owning matters end to end and exercising independent judgment
Comfortable with fixed-fee work and managing matters against a budget
Proficient in Clio, SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and Word
Able to take on 15 to 25 hours per week of substantive matter work
You are Likely a Strong Fit if You:
Think like a business owner, not just a technician
See legal issues from 10,000 feet and act with the right level of detail
Take initiative without waiting to be told
Required:
Soft IP focus (trademark, copyright, trade dress)
TTAB experience and Federal Litigation
Experience advising founder-led or creative businesses
Compensation
$150 hourly
About Trestle Law, APC
Trestle Law serves founders, creators, and established visionaries across the country. We help clients protect what they've built, structure strong businesses, negotiate smart deals, and turn intellectual property into valuable assets.
Our culture is high-performance and high-trust. We work hard, expect excellence, and care about clients and each other. We are thoughtful, decisive, and growth-oriented.
California bar admission in good standing; 8+ years of practice with substantive IP, business, and commercial litigation experience; proficiency in Clio, SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and Word; ability to work 15-25 hours per week.
Key Responsibilities
- handling legal matters
- drafting agreements
- counseling clients
Skills & Tools
Clio, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word
Job Details
- Category: Legal and Compliance
- Seniority: Senior Level
- Commitment: Contract
- Workplace: Remote — United States
- Salary: USD 312,000 – 312,000 / year
- Languages: English
About Trestle Law, APC
A modern intellectual property and business law firm serving founders, creators, and brand-driven businesses. — Industry: Consulting Services