Reagan Charney – Arxada

Reagan Charney is not thinking about intellectual property as a legal silo. She is thinking about it as infrastructure for growth, a system that must scale alongside the business, anticipate change, and translate scientific progress into sustained enterprise value.

Reagan Charney | Arxada | Head of IP, Associate General Counsel – Legal, IP & Compliance

In her role as head of IP, associate general counsel for legal, IP and compliance at Arxada, Charney operates at the intersection of science, law, and strategy. Her work is less about reacting to innovation and more about shaping how it is protected and leveraged as a competitive advantage.

Arxada is a global leader in innovative solutions that protect the world through chemistry and biotechnology. The company develops technologies that safeguard nutrition, health, and infrastructure, serving customers in more than 100 countries across markets such as human health and nutrition, home and personal care, professional hygiene, paints and coatings, and wood protection. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Arxada employs 3,200 associates across 24 production sites and 14 R&D centers, generating approximately CHF 2 billion in annual sales.

For Charney, that complexity demands a different kind of IP leadership, one embedded in the business and accountable for outcomes.

“I don’t see IP as a gatekeeping function,” Charney says. “It has to enable innovation rather than slow it down.”

An unconventional path to IP

Charney’s path to intellectual property law was not linear. She began in chemistry, earning a degree from Texas A&M University and a PhD in organic chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology. The work was rigorous, but it also revealed something about her motivation.

“I realized I thrive on variety and working with people,” Charney says.

The structure of laboratory research felt isolating. Conversations with a friend in employment law opened a new possibility, one that combined her scientific background with a more dynamic career. After exploring the field through early legal work, she attended law school at Georgia State University.

That transition defined her career. Over more than a decade in private practice, Charney built expertise across patents, trade secrets, and litigation. The experience sharpened her ability to connect legal strategy to business realities.

Today, she also returns to that environment as a part-time professor at Georgia State, teaching licensing, trademarks, trade secrets, and design patents, while mentoring the next generation of lawyers.

Embedding IP into the business

Since joining Arxada in 2019 and stepping into her current role in 2024, Charney has focused on integrating IP into daily operations. Her team manages a global portfolio that includes 184 active patent families, 377 granted patents, and hundreds of pending applications, along with a substantial trademark portfolio.

“We have to be intentional about what we protect and how we protect it,” she says.

In a regulated environment, the decision between pursuing a patent or maintaining a trade secret becomes critical. Each option carries implications for disclosure, enforcement, and long-term value.

Charney has made trade secret protection a particular focus. She has led the development of structured programs designed to identify and secure key assets. That work requires coordination across R&D, regulatory, and commercial teams to ensure protections are both practical and enforceable.

At the same time, she has positioned IP as an early participant in the innovation lifecycle. By engaging at the outset of R&D efforts, her group helps shape decisions before they become constraints.

“IP should be part of the conversation from the beginning,” Charney says.

Her team structure reflects that philosophy. With a small group that includes both U.S. and European patent attorneys, responsibilities are divided by business line, allowing each member to develop deep familiarity with specific areas. Regular communication ensures alignment without sacrificing autonomy.

Leading a global & connected team

Managing a global IP function introduces challenges, particularly in maintaining visibility across regions. For Charney, leadership depends on consistency, transparency, and understanding how each individual works.

“I know what their strengths are, and I trust them,” she says.

That trust is reinforced through structured communication, including monthly team calls, one-on-one check-ins, and digital collaboration tools. The goal is clarity around expectations and deliverables.

In a distributed environment, Charney also schedules short, frequent meetings with colleagues across the business to stay connected.

“Being accessible and approachable makes a difference,” she says.

Her leadership style reflects her background in education. She emphasizes practical understanding and adaptability, encouraging her team to engage with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Charney is involved in AI governance within Arxada, serving as a legal contact as the company evaluates responsible use. She recognizes both efficiency gains and risks.

“I love AI because it saves time and lets me focus on more important work,” she says.

At the same time, she maintains clear boundaries around its use, requiring oversight and verification. For Charney, the goal is to guide adoption thoughtfully.

Scaling IP for the future

Looking ahead, Charney’s focus is on increasing IP’s influence. As Arxada evolves, she sees an opportunity to further align IP strategy with growth.

A central part of that vision is demonstrating the return on investment of IP. In a science-driven company, making that value visible is essential.

“IP has to show how it contributes to growth and enterprise value,” Charney says.

That includes refining trade secret programs, strengthening enforcement strategies, and embedding IP in commercial decision-making. It also involves preparing the function to scale as the business expands.

Equally important is developing people. Through leadership and teaching, Charney is committed to mentoring others and helping them understand the strategic power of IP.

Her own career reflects that evolution. What began as a pivot from chemistry into law has become a platform for shaping how organizations leverage their most valuable intangible assets.

At Arxada, that perspective is taking hold. Intellectual property is no longer a back-end function, but a core component of the company’s ability to innovate and grow.

That mindset also shapes how she evaluates future change. Charney is particularly energized by preparing the IP function for transformation, whether driven by market dynamics, regulatory shifts, or broader business restructuring. She views IP not as something that reacts to those forces, but as something positioned to support and accelerate them.

Part of that preparation involves deepening integration with business partners across finance, HR, and the executive team, ensuring IP considerations are embedded in strategic decisions.

Ultimately, her approach reflects a broader shift in how intellectual property is understood. It is no longer just about protection. It is about positioning a company to compete, adapt, and create long-term value.

For Charney, the work is ongoing, but the direction is clear. IP, when integrated with purpose, becomes more than protection. It becomes a driver of possibility.