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U.S. Patent Office Practice Committee
The Committee will work to improve patent prosecution practice in the USPTO. To that end, the
Committee will:
1. Study and report on changes in patent practice proposed by the USPTO, with special attention to pre-grant practice. When appropriate, the Committee will propose comments on suggested changes in patent practice.
2. Survey the Committee membership for feedback on and changes to patent practice that can be recommended to the USPTO for implementation; collect, analyze, and report to appropriate USPTO officials feedback including suggestions and proposals for changes to patent practice and develop recommendations for changes in the Patent Act. The Committee will identify the most important changes and support IPO’s government relations team where appropriate as they work with relevant government officials and the legislature to have such changes implemented.
3. Foster additional dialog between IPO and the USPTO by holding periodic meetings with the Commissioner for Patents and other executives.
4. Work with other Patent Division Committees to conform U.S. patent practice to international standards, and to coordinate other activities relevant to this Committee’s charter with those Division Committees
5. Organize, sponsor and co-sponsor educational sessions on patent practice, including assisting in planning IPO’s Spring Summit and Annual Meeting.
Chair:Lesley Leonessa, Dell Technologies
Chair:Benjamin Searle, HP Inc.
Chair:Jon Chiodo, Johnson & Johnson
Vice Chair:Kevin Hawkes, IPTechLaw
Vice Chair:David Easwaran, K&L Gates
Vice Chair:Ron Ventola, Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP
Secretary:Christopher Cauble, Harness IP
Board Liaison:Laura Sheridan, Google LLC
Staff Liaison:Samantha Grover, Intellectual Property Owners Association
Members
- Gunjan AgarwalEaton Corporation
- Benjamin BolinBakerHostetler
- Kavyasree BommakantiKORK InventRex Inc.
- Dave BourgeauKolitch Romano Dascenzo Gates LLC
- Courtenay C. BrinckerhoffFoley & Lardner LLP
- Chad BruggemanGray Ice Higdon, PLLC
- Jonathan BurnsGoogle LLC
- Carlyn BurtonOsha Bergman Watanabe & Burton LLP
- Daniel CarterHP Inc.
- John CecconiGray Ice Higdon, PLLC
- Chen CHENLi & N Intellectual Property Agency Ltd.
- Charles ChesneyQualcomm Incorporated
- Shruti S. CostalesShruti Law PLLC
- Atanu DasGuntin & Gust
- Joshua L. DavenportBanner & Witcoff, Ltd.
- Raymond DossAmgen, Inc.
- Brian J. EmfingerBanner & Witcoff, Ltd.
- Wil M. EvansBristol Myers Squibb Company
- Cory W. FisherShook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
- Gary C. GanziLando & Anastasi, LLP
- Brian Gustafson
- Kate HelmichCargill, Incorporated
- Laura JohannesAbbVie
- William KehoeBakerHostetler
- Dennis Y. KimHewlett Packard Enterprise
- Stephanie M. LawleyLeydig, Voit & Mayer
- Jason LinkDow Chemical Co.
- Sean McDowellIPTechLaw
- Yoko NatsumeOhchi International IP
- Danny PadysViksnins Harris Padys Malen LLP
- Daniel PierronWiderman Malek
- Fraser RowandRowand LLP
- Matthew S. RuddMcAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd.
- Sanjesh SharmaJohnson & Johnson
- Colleen ShovlinHarness IP
- Scott M. SimmondsBarnes & Thornburg LLP
- Barbara SklibaAdeia
- Derek SomogyCaterpillar Inc.
- Michael SpillnerAdeia
- Tyler TassoneSterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox, PLLC
- Michael D. TurnerBrooks Kushman P.C.
- Mark A. TwilleyDow Chemical Co.
- Clifford UlrichCarter, Deluca & Farrell, LLP
- Mary VanAttenBristol Myers Squibb Company
- Paul VogelShook, Hardy & Bacon LLP
- Bryan L. Walker3M Innovative Properties Co.
- Herbert C. Wamsley
- Peter S. WeissmanBlank Rome LLP
- Mark E. WilinskiGuntin & Gust
- Thomas WongMicrosoft Corporation
- James Hunt (Hunter) Yancey, Jr.Qualcomm Incorporated
- Masako YoshidaHSML P.C.
- John ZerrShruti Law PLLC
- Nerrie M. ZohnQualcomm Incorporated
- Non-Voting Member:Shana Cyr, Bristol Myers Squibb Company
- Non-Voting Member:Azuka Dike, Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
- Non-Voting Member:Christopher N. George, Hanley, Flight & Zimmerman, LLC
- Non-Voting Member:Robert Patrick Lord, Lathrop GPM
- Non-Voting Member:Matthew Marrone, Dennemeyer & Associates S.A.
- Non-Voting Member:John T. Pienkos, Amundsen Davis, LLC
- Non-Voting Member:Mark V. Polyakov, Wood Phillips LLP
- Non-Voting Member:Kimberlee Raley, Darrow Mustafa PC
- Non-Voting Member:Mary Till, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
- Non-Voting Member:Wen Xie, Lux Lumen Intellectual Property, PC