The Office of the Solicitor serves as legal counsel to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on intellectual property law matters. The Solicitor's Office also works in collaboration with the Department of Commerce on interagency intellectual property law matters. The Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor is Nathan Kelley.
Among other responsibilities, the Office of the Solicitor:
- Defends decisions by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the federal district courts
- Represents the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO (Director) in district court actions that are filed against the USPTO pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
- Provides legal advice on intellectual property law policy and regulation
- Prosecutes attorneys and agents who practice before the agency for alleged ethical violations
- Defends USPTO employees at deposition
- Amicus Briefs
- Supreme Court Decisions
- Federal Circuit Appeals
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Office of the Solicitor Staff |
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Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual Property Law and Solicitor: |
Kelley, Nathan |
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Deputy Solicitor for Intellectual Property Law and Senior Counsel for Patent Law and Litigation: |
Krause, Thomas |
| Senior Counsel for Patent Law and Litigation | Weidenfeller, Scott C. |
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Secretary: |
Gibbs, Tasha |
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Attorneys: |
Caprihan, Kakoli |
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Supervisory Paralegal: |
Arnold, Danita |
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Paralegals: |
Amitrani, Steven |
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Law Librarian: |
Raymond, Esther |
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Legal Assistants: |
McKay, Patricia |