Andrew Hirsch, Richard Litman join International Intellectual Property Institute

Both will focus on IIPI’s aim to help academic, industry and government leaders adopt the best international IP practices and models for innovation-based economic and societal development.

IIPI was founded and headed by Bruce Lehman, the Clinton Administration USPTO Commissioner and Assistant Secretary of Commerce.

Hirsch (right) worked closely with Lehman at the Department of Commerce. He began his career working in the US Senate for US vice-presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden and then served in the Clinton Administration, handling domestic and international IP matters in multiple senior staff positions at the USPTO and in the Secretary of Commerce’s Office of Business Liaison. He was most recently general counsel at Fuelcor.

Litman (right) is the leader of the IP and emerging technologies practice group of Becker & Poliakoff. He started the Global Academic Innovation Network five years ago.

IIPI hopes to accelerate the process for countries and regions that are committed to building IP capacity. This includes helping countries establish and quickly develop their patent offices to be world class participants in the international patent system.

The USPTO recently awarded IIPI a grant to assist the Philippines with its efforts to build IP capacity. Richard Cahoon, the former director of technology transfer at Cornell University is leading this initiative.