USPTO Lead Administrative Patent Judge Jennifer Meyer Chagnon Joins Sterne Kessler

Washington, D.C. (September 29, 2022) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox is pleased to announce Lead Administrative Patent Judge (APJ) Jennifer Meyer Chagnon of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has joined the firm as counsel. Chagnon served as an APJ since 2013, with her tenure in the lead role over the past five years.

“We are delighted to have Jennifer join the firm and further strengthen our industry-leading PTAB practice,” said Michael B. Ray, managing director of Sterne Kessler. “Having almost a decade of service on the bench, she brings impressive credentials and useful insights into how the PTAB works that she will draw upon to help our clients navigate some of their toughest issues. As such, she is a tremendous addition to help us serve the complex and growing demands of our PTAB practice clients.”

While at the USPTO, Chagnon presided over more than 450 inter partes review and post grant review proceedings under the America Invents Act. She also adjudicated ex parte appeals, reviewing adverse examiner decisions when appealed by patent applicants. She presided over cases in a variety of technology areas including the electrical, computer, chemical, mechanical and biological arts. Additionally, as a Lead APJ, Chagnon worked with the PTAB executive team on numerous policy, personnel, and strategy issues. Having served nearly a decade as a PTAB APJ, she was front and center during the PTAB’s formative years and through its ensuing evolution under multiple USPTO directors.

Prior to joining the USPTO, Chagnon worked in private practice where she focused on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications.

At Sterne Kessler, Chagnon will assist clients with PTAB challenges and develop litigation strategies with an eye toward how PTAB challenges may impact those strategies. Additionally, she will leverage her patent preparation and prosecution experiences with her PTAB APJ experiences to counsel clients on building strong patent portfolios.

“I am excited to return to private practice at Sterne Kessler and to have the opportunity to work with some of the best attorneys in the patent bar,” said Chagnon. “The firm has a well-earned reputation for excellence at the PTAB, in litigation, and in patent prosecution. I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues and building a practice.”

Chagnon received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.S. in chemical engineering, magna cum laude, from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She also holds an M.S. in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University.

About Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

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, Goldstein & Fox 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 60 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.