Michelle Lee expected to “hit the ground running” as USPTO director

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Michelle Lee expected to “hit the ground running” as USPTO director

AIPLA has welcomed the nomination of Michelle Lee to serve as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO

michelle20lee20uspto150.jpg

Wayne Sobon, president of the Association, congratulated Lee. “She will hit the ground running as she faces the multitude of challenges in this role, and we are confident that she will achieve significant and speedy success,” he said in a statement. “At this critical time for the Office and in the IP world generally, filling this important position is long past due.”

“As fellow residents of Silicon Valley who’ve known each other throughout our careers, and in particular as fellow members on the USPTO’s Patent Public Advisory Committee, I appreciate Michelle’s many talents and I am confident that we will be able to work effectively and collaboratively with her in tackling the significant issues ahead.”

Lee has served as Deputy Director of the USPTO since December 2013, and is a former Deputy General Counsel at Google.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Law firms across the world are seemingly united in their reluctance to give juniors a chance, which shouldn’t be the case
In-house counsel say they want more visibility for the next generation of lawyers, but private practice practitioners believe jurisdictional challenges stand in their way
IP STARS, Managing IP’s accreditation title, reveals this year’s first rankings, showing how firms in Asia-Pacific are performing across a range of practice areas
A dispute over buggies, a decision on the UPC’s jurisdiction, and the formal launch of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre were among the top developments
Sofie McPherson says she is excited to work at a firm that offers an integrated approach between attorneys and litigators
Personality rights are among several measures the government must take to maximise the potential of the music licensing market, say lawyers
Pascal Faure, director general of INPI, explains why keeping a cool head is key, and discusses plans to leverage IP assets to secure funding
Lawyers at Carpmaels & Ransford explain how the healthcare sector has not simply participated in the UPC’s early years, but actively shaped it
The firm has hired former in-house counsel Quintin Cassady to lead the launch of the new office
The combined firm has strong IP credentials across the US, Middle East, UK and Europe, despite Taylor Wessing’s German and French practices not joining
Gift this article