Sterne Kessler Director Tracy-Gene G. Durkin Appointed to United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Public Advisory Committee

Washington D.C. (December 6, 2019) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is proud to announce that Director Tracy-Gene G. Durkin has been appointed to the prestigious United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Members of the PPAC review the policies, goals, performance, budget, and user fees of patent operations and advise the director on these matters. Tracy’s three-year term is effective December 1, 2019 to December 1, 2022.

Tracy brings to the committee over 30 years of experience obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights. She is sought out by leading consumer product companies, and by colleagues around the world for her deep understanding of utility and design patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Her expertise includes helping clear new products and trademarks for use in the marketplace, selecting appropriate IP protection, and enforcing such protection through mediation, litigation, and licensing. Tracy has received distinctions for her excellence in patent prosecution from many rankings organizations, including Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Intellectual Asset Management, and Managing Intellectual Property.

The PPAC for the USPTO was created by statute in the American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 to advise the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO on the management of the patent operations.

About Sterne Kessler

Based in Washington, D.C. and renowned for more than four decades for dedication to the protection, transfer, and enforcement of intellectual property rights, Sterne Kessler is one of the most highly regarded intellectual property specialty law firms in the world. Its team of attorneys, registered patent agents, students, and technical specialists include some of the country’s most respected practitioners of IP law tackling innovations across a broad spectrum of industries. The firm’s practitioners hold over 50 masters and over 50 doctorate degrees in science or engineering and represent Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, inventors, venture capital firms, and universities in a client service driven environment that is welcoming, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating. Visit the firm online at sternekessler.com.