Former PTO Director Dudas Joins Foley & Lardner

I have been critical of Jon Dudas and the way that the USPTO was run during his Administration.  I think much could have been done better, including working together with the patent bar to attempt sensible fixes to the US patent system.  Now that Jon Dudas has entered private it is time to move forward and attempt to continue efforts to get the leaders within the United States Patent and Trademark Office to engage in meaningful reform that is aimed at solving the crisis that faces our patent system. 

Now that you are in the private sector, if you ever want to opine on an issue or address issues I would be more than happy to publish your thoughts and writings, unedited of course, even if you just want to take a shot at me or any of your other critics.

Congratulations on your new position Mr. Dudas, and good luck to you.  I sincerely wish you well. 

FOLEY & LARDNER PRESS RELEASE

Foley & Lardner LLP LLP announced today that former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Jon W. Dudas has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, working with the Intellectual Property and Public Affairs Practices.

Dudas was nominated by President George W. Bush in March 2004 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in July 2004. He previously served as acting Under Secretary and Director, and Deputy Under Secretary and Deputy Director from 2002 to 2004.

In his recent role, Dudas advised the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and the administration about intellectual property matters and administered the laws of granting patents and trademarks and the day-to-day management of the $2 billion agency and its more than 9,000 employees. As head of the world’s leading intellectual property (IP) office, Dudas also developed and articulated administration positions on patent, copyright, and trademark issues, both domestic and foreign.

“Joining Foley was a natural next step after having the honor to serve at the USPTO,” said Dudas. “The firm’s Intellectual Property practice is consistently recognized in the top 10 nationally for both IP litigation and prosecution and its platform offers me a tremendous opportunity to continue fostering innovation and intellectual property at this crucial time.”

In his role as the nation’s top patent official Jon Dudas personally spearheaded an unprecedented number of patent cooperation and development missions with the European Union, China, Japan, Korea and other countries that should prove helpful to Americans establishing and enforcing patent rights in Asia and globally. He made significant progress toward “patent worksharing” which offers keys to both greater efficiencies in patent examination at the PTO and also, significantly, the possibility of more cost-efficient and better American patent protection abroad.

“Jon brings a unique mix of talent and experience leveraging both his distinguished tenure within the federal government and his experience as a litigator established prior to his government service,” said Sharon R. Barner, chair of Foley’s Intellectual Property Department. “Foley’s global IP practice and its increasing global patent litigation will benefit from Jon’s integration with our multinational patent enforcement teams.”

Among his most notable achievements, Dudas was the first USPTO Director to achieve full funding of the Patent Office and prevent diversion of fees, a feat that required intense negotiations and which is universally popular with every company filing patents.

Previously, Dudas served six years as Counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, and Staff Director and Deputy General Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee. He guided enactment of major patent, trademark, and copyright policy, including the 1999 American Inventors Protection Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He was also instrumental in the passage of the 1996 Trademark Anti-Counterfeiting Consumer Protection Act, a law making it more difficult for seized counterfeit merchandise to re-enter the consumer marketplace.

Before his employment with the House of Representatives, Dudas practiced law in Chicago, focusing his practice on litigation with an emphasis on copyright and trademark issues.

Dudas is Latest in a Recent String of High Profile Additions to Foley

Dudas’ arrival is the latest in a string of high-profile additions to Foley as the firm continues to build tremendous momentum in key practice areas. In December, Foley announced former Vice President and Chief Counsel in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Market Regulation Department Richard Wallace joining in Washington, D.C.

In October, ten former Heller Ehrman LLP attorneys and one patent specialist joined the firm’s Litigation and Intellectual Property Departments in the firm’s San Diego and Del Mar offices.

The additions continued in November as Foley added three more former Heller attorneys who joined the firm’s Business Law and Intellectual Property Departments in the San Diego and Del Mar offices. Later that month, six former Thelen LLP attorneys joined the firm’s Litigation and Intellectual Property Departments in the New York office.

Comprised of nearly 240 attorneys, Foley’s Intellectual Property practice is a recognized leader in IP legal services. For the seventh consecutive year, Foley was ranked by IP Today as one of the top 10 firms for the number of patents issued and by IP Law & Business magazine as one of the top patent litigation firms in the nation. These rankings make Foley the only general practice firm to appear in the top 10 for both patent litigation and patent procurement.

Foley & Lardner LLP continually evolves to meet the changing legal needs of our clients. Our team-based approach, proprietary client service technology, and practice depth enhance client relationships while seeing clients through their most complex legal challenges. The BTI Consulting Group (Wellesley, Massachusetts) recently recognized Foley as one of the top four law firms shaping the U.S. legal market, while CIO magazine has named Foley to its CIO 100 list six times for our client-focused technology. With more than 1,000 attorneys in 22 offices and more than 50 practices, count on Foley for high-caliber business and legal insight.

About the Author

Eugene R. Quinn, Jr. President & Founder of IPWatchdog, Inc. US Patent Attorney (Reg. No. 44,294) B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Rutgers University J.D., Franklin Pierce Law Center L.L.M. in Intellectual Property, Franklin Pierce Law Center Send me an e-mail

Gene is a US Patent Attorney, Law Professor and the founder of IPWatchdog.com. He teaches patent bar review courses and is a member of the Board of Directors of the United Inventors Association. Gene has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, CNN Money and various other newspapers and magazines worldwide