Overview
Jessica Harrison is counsel in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group. Jessica brings over three decades of patent practice experience and broad technical aptitude to her clients after spending 25 years at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), many as a Supervisor including in the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU), and nearly a decade in private practice, most recently as a firm co-founder. Jessica currently serves as an adjunct faculty professor at University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law where she teaches Patent Practice and Procedures courses and a Video Gaming and IP course.
Jessica’s extraordinary experience provides her with an entirely unique perspective into the most complex issues facing patent owners and patent challengers.
Jessica’s clients rely on her to develop strategies to navigate the full spectrum of issues that might arise. In particular, Jessica advises clients on selecting and implementing offensive and defensive patent post-grant strategies, including reissue applications, reexamination proceedings, and IPR matters. And Jessica has an expertise in analyzing prior patent proceedings to counsel her clients during due diligence, litigation, or valuation opinions.
Prior to attending law school, Jessica served 25 years at the USPTO. She started as an associate and primary Examiner examining patent applications in a variety of electrical and computer arts including electronic games and amusement devices, electronic education devices, computer based training systems, electrical exercising devices, and electrical medical instrumentation including cardiac pacing devices, catheters, and endoscopic devices. Later, Jessica served in a wide variety of USPTO management roles: a Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) and a Special Programs Examiner (SPRE) in Technology Center 3700 and an SPE in the CRU. In these roles, Jessica gained both legal and subject-matter expert status in multiple areas of technology and multiple complex legal issues including petitions, reissue applications, reexamination proceedings and interference proceedings.
Jessica received her law degree from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law where she received a Certificate in Intellectual Property and was named Franklin Pierce Intellectual Property Scholar. Jessica received a Masters and Bachelor degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of South Carolina, where her Master’s Thesis was titled “Measurement of Field Effect Transistor Parameters for SPICE Simulations.”
Jessica is an active member of the Pauline Newman IP American Inn of Court where she recently served as Inn Liaison Chair to the Linn Inn Alliance of the American Inns of Court.
Education
- J.D., University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law
- M.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of South Carolina
- B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of South Carolina