Former O’Melveny & Myers counsel Coke Morgan Stewart was named the latest deputy director of the USPTO on day one of the new presidency yesterday, January 20.
Stewart was sworn in as the new deputy undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and deputy director of the USPTO after the inauguration of Donald Trump as president.
The USPTO confirmed the appointment today, January 21.
There is no confirmation on who Trump will nominate as the next USPTO director, though Stewart is still a possibility. In the past, as in the case of Michelle Lee, the deputy director has gone on to become director.
Before joining O’Melveny in 2023, Stewart held various roles at the USPTO including as acting deputy solicitor and acting chief of staff. At the end of Trump’s first term in 2021, she became deputy director before leaving to join Regent University School of Law.
Earlier in her career, she was a counsel at Kaye Scholer, which later became part of Arnold & Porter, and an associate at the now-defunct firm Howrey.
According to reports, Stewart is a staunch advocate of the patent system and patent rights in general. She is expected to be an ally to innovators, particularly startups and SMEs.
