Patent Reexamination/Reissue World-Class Team

The former USPTO Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, Stephen G. Kunin, leads the practice group, bringing 34 years of USPTO experience to the firm. While at the USPTO, Mr. Kunin wrote many of the rules and procedures applicable to reexaminations and is especially knowledgeable about the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) practices, procedures and staff. Many of the group’s attorneys have established long-standing track records with CRU Examiners, the Director and Senior Legal Advisors at the USPTO.

Lee E. Barrett brings 32 years of USPTO experience to the firm. He most recently served as an Administrative Patent Judge (APJ) with the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) for 16 years. He was responsible for hearing and deciding appeals from decisions of Examiners in applications for patents, for reissue of patents, and in ex parte and inter partes reexamination proceedings.

The group’s leadership also includes Vincent K. Shier, who leads the team focused on chemistry, biotechnology, biomedicine and pharmaceuticals; Scott A. McKeown, who leads the team responsible for electronics, wireless communications, software and computer-related inventions and business methods; and W. Todd Baker, who leads the team responsible for mechanical technologies, nanotechnology, e-commerce and medical devices.