USPTO Deputy Director Michelle Lee Speaks at Roundtable Hosted by Covington
SAN FRANCISCO, July 2, 2014 — Michelle Lee, deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, spoke at Covington's San Francisco office on June 27 in connection with a White House Business Council and TechNet roundtable on patent policy.
Speaking to members of the technology and legal communities, Ms. Lee addressed the state of the U.S. patent system, including her office's efforts to improve the quality of patents and recent U.S. Supreme Court patent decisions.
Prior to her role as deputy director, Ms. Lee served as the first director of the Silicon Valley U.S. Patent and Trademark Office where she was responsible for establishing and leading the Silicon Valley office as well as advising the USPTO on a variety of policy matters. The USPTO opened a temporary satellite office in Menlo Park, Calif. in 2012 and is expected to move into its permanent location at San Jose City Hall in early 2015.
Covington's intellectual property practice, comprised of more than 180 attorneys, focuses on patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark law.