New USPTO Leadership

With presidentially appointed positions, the leadership of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) traditionally sees a shake-up with each new administration. The transition will be no different with the Biden Administration. Former Director Andrei Iancu has left the USPTO after being appointed Director in 2017 by President Trump. In his place, Drew Hirshfeld has taken over responsibility by performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. Drew Hirshfeld’s permanent role with the USPTO is Commissioner for Patents.

There has been no announcement regarding who President Biden will appoint to be Director Iancu’s permanent replacement and if past administrations serve as any indication, it may be several months before we have an update. In the meantime, a complete list of the current and acting leadership of the USPTO can be found here: https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/executive-biographies.