David Ruschke Appointed Patent Trial and Appeal Board Chief Judge
WASHINGTON – The
US Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
announced the appointment of David P. Ruschke as new Chief Judge for the Patent
Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).
“The
Patent Trial and Appeal Board plays a critical role in the patent ecosystem,
especially since the launch of post-grant trials authorized in the America
Invents Act of 2011,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual
Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Michelle
K. Lee. “David’s breadth of experience in global patent opposition proceedings
and his deep understanding of intellectual property positions him perfectly to
lead our Board well into the future.”
Prior
to joining the USPTO, Ruschke managed the Intellectual Property portfolio of
Medtronic’s CSH business unit, with sales in excess of $3 billion. As Chief
Patent Counsel, Ruschke participated in numerous patent appeals, interferences,
post grant reviews, inter partes reviews, and the Transitional Program for
Covered Business Method Patents. He gained extensive experience in post-grant
proceedings in Europe and participated in third-party contested proceedings
before administrative agencies and courts around the world. He has significant
experience in shaping and integrating teams of professionals, as well as
managing a work force that is geographically dispersed.
“Director
Lee has assembled a highly talented and hard-working team at the USPTO. I am
excited to have the opportunity to join the talented judges and staff of the
PTAB as we work together to serve America’s inventors,” said Ruschke.
Prior
to joining Medtronic, Ruschke practiced with Covington & Burling in
Washington DC, where he litigated claims of patent infringement. Ruschke’s
judicial experience includes clerking for Chief Judge Glenn L. Archer, Jr. and
Circuit Judge Arthur J. Gajarsa at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit. He received his JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and holds a
PhD in organometallic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and a BS in chemistry from the University of Minnesota.
Ruschke’s
appointment allows Nathan Kelley to return to his position in the USPTO’s
Office of the Solicitor to serve as the Deputy General Counsel for Intellectual
Property Law and Solicitor. Kelley served as PTAB Acting Chief Judge for 10
months.
“I am
grateful to Nate Kelley for the service he has provided our agency during his
time with PTAB and I am pleased to again have his skill and expertise serving
the agency and the public as the USPTO’s Solicitor.”
