Lee Resigns; Matal Appointed Acting Director of USPTO

In the day following Michelle Lee’s resignation as Director of the USPTO, Joseph Matal was announced as Acting Director. These events appear to bring to a close the recent turbulence of leadership at the Office. It wasn’t until March that Director Lee’s position with the Office was confirmed, and that confirmation was given only on the final day to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request. Acting Director Matal’s pedigree diverges from that of the immediate past two directors, having never been a practitioner of patent law, instead having served as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2002 to 2012, at which point he became an Associate Solicitor in the USPTO. He did, however, play a significant role and is intimately familiar with the enactment of the America Invents Act. No timeline has been provided as to when a permanent director will be named. Director Lee served as Acting Director for over a year before being named Director.