Hirsch, Litman Join International Intellectual Property Institute

The International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI), founded and headed by former United States Patent and Trademark Office Commissioner Bruce Lehman, has recently brought in two seasoned intellectual property attorneys. Andrew Hirsch, who worked closely with Lehman at the Department of Commerce, has been named the Executive Director of IIPI, and Richard Litman, is now its General Counsel. Both will focus on IIPI’s quest to help academic, industry and government leaders to adopt the best international IP practices and models for innovation based economic and societal development.

“IIPI is excited and gratified to welcome Andrew Hirsch and Richard Litman to the Institute. Their addition to our IIPI family presents a tremendous opportunity for IIPI to expand our development, technical assistance, and advisory programs globally,” Lehman said.

Andrew Hirsch

Andrew Hirsch is a recognized intellectual property expert with over 20 years of diversified public and private sector professional experience in global intellectual property policy, law, entrepreneurial business creation, and technology innovation and commercialization. He is also a serial entrepreneur in patent based energy and environmental technologies.

Hirsch began his career working in the U.S. Senate for Vice President Gore and Vice President Biden and then served with distinction in the Clinton Administration, handling a diverse array of domestic and international IP matters in multiple senior staff positions at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in the Secretary of Commerce’s Office of Business Liaison. He worked on public, intergovernmental and congressional affairs, where he helped adapt intellectual property related laws to new technology developments.  He has expertise in international commercial trade and technology initiatives, and IP diplomacy and advocacy missions throughout the world. Hirsch also brings extensive experience as an entrepreneur, C-Suite business leader, and strategic in-house intellectual property counsel where he has started, managed, and built knowledge based companies.

Richard Litman

According to IIPI, Richard Litman was chosen as its General Counsel because he is a highly regarded international patent expert with business know-how. He has extensive experience in the Middle East and Latin America, as well as relationships in emerging innovation economies around the world. He started the Global Academic Innovation Network (GAIN) 5 years ago.

Litman is the Practice Group Leader of the Intellectual Property and Emerging Technologies Practice Group of Becker & Poliakoff, PA. He is based in the Washington, DC, South Florida, and Northern Virginia offices. He is the Office Managing Attorney of the firm’s Northern Virginia Office, which is the administrative office for the firm’s IP practice. Clients include universities, research centers, programs and resources supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and research and development funding organizations in emerging innovation economies.

Litman, who finished college when he was 15, holds three law degrees, including a J.D., with honors. He received his LL.M in Patent and Trade Regulation Law from George Washington University while serving as the Food and Drug Law Institute Fellow. He has 35 years’ experience, is admitted to several state and federal courts, and is a Registered Patent Attorney. He is also Chairman of The Freedom Bank of Virginia, a fast growing commercial bank in the DC area.

About IIPI

The International Intellectual Property Institute (IIPI) is a non-profit international development organization and think tank that promotes the use of IP rights to create jobs and increase competitiveness in emerging innovation economies. Bruce Lehman, former Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office and Assistant Secretary of Commerce, founded the Institute in 1998 and continues to serve as its Chairman and President. Jorge Amigo Castañeda, former Director General of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, is the Institute’s Vice Chairman. The Directors and Board of Advisors are international luminaries in the global innovation ecosystem. In 2014 and 2015 IIPI’s expects to expand its role in the Middle East, Latin America and Pacific Rim countries. For more information about IIPI, please contact Jenna Leventoff, Manager and Legal Counsel at IIPI at [email protected] or (202) 544-6610 ext. 1001.