Michelle Lee Nominated To Lead USPTO
On October 16, 2014, the White House announced that President Barack Obama nominated Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director Michelle Lee to serve as director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Lee has been the acting director of the USPTO since January of this year. The position has been vacant since David Kappos stepped down in February 2013.
If the nomination is approved by the Senate, Lee will be the first woman director of the USPTO in its history. President Obama said in a statement that he is confident Lee "will serve the American people well," and is looking forward to working with her. Prior to her current position, Lee served as the first USPTO Director of the Silicon Valley office. Prior to that, she served as Deputy General Counsel for Google, and was the company’s first Head of Patents and Patents Strategy. Lee holds a B.S. and an M.S. in electrical engineering and computer science from M.I.T., as well as a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
