USPTO announces new deputy director

New recruit brings ‘significant’ IP law expertise | Vidal says appointment will ‘lift the agency to new heights’.

The  US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has announced the appointment of Derrick Brent as deputy director.

In his new role, effective from August 1, Brent will serve as principal advisor to USPTO under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director Kathi Vidal, managing a wide portfolio of programmes and operations.

His responsibilities include working with Vidal to lead the USPTO, advance IP policy and procedures, expand the USPTO’s outreach efforts to incentivise and support more innovation and entrepreneurship nationwide, and execute the agency’s policies, priorities, and programmes.

Gina M Raimondo, US secretary of commerce, and director Vidal, made the announcement yesterday, July 28.

“I am thrilled to welcome Derrick to America’s Innovation Agency,” said Vidal.

“Derrick’s wide and deep experience in intellectual property, policy, government, and industry will serve the agency well. His work in the private and public sectors, working with a wide range of IP constituencies in different industries across the country, from Georgia to Ohio to California, and fighting for civil rights and the rights of the under-resourced and underrepresented, will undoubtedly lift this agency to new heights.

“I am excited to partner with Derrick to expand innovation throughout our country and bring more of it to impact.”

Brent, whose full title will be deputy under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and deputy director, said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be asked to serve by secretary Raimondo and director Vidal,” said Brent. “I look forward to adding my hard work and skills to the dedicated team at the USPTO.

“Together, we will continue to advance and expand American innovation, across the country and the world.”

‘Significant’ IP law experience

Brent’s career spans public service and private sector work, including “significant” experience in IP law and work to assist start-ups as well as those who are underrepresented in the IP community.

He served for six years as chief counsel for California Senator Barbara Boxer, where his portfolio included IP and constitutional issues, civil rights, telecommunications, and judicial nominations.

He worked closely with the IP community in the Senator’s home state and across the country, including with prior USPTO directors and experts.

Brent has served in all three branches of the federal government: executive, legislative, and judicial. In addition to his work as a chief counsel in the US Senate, he clerked for the Hon. Algenon L Marbley, chief judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

After litigating at the law firm  Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Ohio, he served six years as a senior trial attorney at the US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, where he received a Special Achievement Award for his trial work.

Private sector work

Most recently, Brent worked as a consultant, advising start-ups on a variety of IP, operations, strategy, analytics, and risk mitigation issues in many functional areas.

Prior to joining the USPTO, he was on the leadership team of Cut Golf, an early-stage golf equipment and apparel company. He provided counsel, analysis, and project management to the founders on a variety of matters, including IP, contracts, marketing/advertising, business development, design/performance analysis, and supply chain management.

Before becoming a lawyer, Brent worked for General Motors as an engineer with the Powertrain Division, managing the engineering and business activities for multiple subcontracted manufacturing facilities across the country. His remit included product design, new product validation, production processes and improvements, testing, inventory, and budgets.

Brent received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern University School of Law (now the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law).