Q. Todd Dickinson

Q. Todd Dickinson is the former Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He is the current Executive Director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), and had been mentioned by some sources for possible reappointment to his former post as Director of the USPTO by the Barack Obama administration prior to the appointment of David Kappos to that post.^[1]

Early career

Dickinson earned a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Allegheny College in 1974 and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1977. He is a member of the Bars of Pennsylvania, California, and Illinois, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Dickinson began his legal career as a patent and trademark lawyer with Baxter Travenol Laboratories in Deerfield, Illinois, and then took a job with the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania law firm of Blenko, Buell, Ziesenheim and Beck. From 1981 to 1990, he served as counsel to Chevron Corporation in San Francisco, California, focusing on domestic and international intellectual property matters. In 1990, he was hired as Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property and Technology at Sun Company, Inc., a post he would hold until 1995, when he left to join the law firm of Dechert Price & Rhoads.^[2]

Career at the USPTO

Dickinson was nominated for the position of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office by President William Clinton on July 31, 1999, after having served in an acting capacity since January 1, 1999.^[3] He served from 1999-2001.^[4]

After the USPTO

After leaving the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Dickinson joined the Washington, D.C. office of Howrey Simon Arnold & White, becoming co-chair of its intellectual property practice.^[5] He then joined General Electric as Vice President & Chief Intellectual Property Counsel.^[6] On 1 September 2008, he was named Executive Director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association.^[7] He remained in that position with the AIPLA until July 2014, when he resigned. ^[8] As of March 2015, he joined Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP as Global Chair of its Client Select Strategic Services Group. ^[9]

References

1. Liza Porteus Viana (November 14, 2008). "Doll Is New Deputy At USPTO; More Changes On The Way". Intellectual Property Watch. Retrieved November 17, 2008.
2. Official biography from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
3. USPTO.gov, Press Release, 99-19, President Clinton Nominates Todd Dickinson to Top Post at USPTO, July 6, 1999, http://www.uspto.gov/news/pr/1999/99-19.jsp
4. iP Frontline, "Former USPTO Director Named Executive Director of AIPLA," Aug. 14, 2008 http://www.ipfrontline.com/depts/article.aspx?id=20454&deptid=4
5. "Patent Office chief takes government contacts to Howrey". Managing IP magazine. 29 April 2001. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
6. Dickinson's bio from the Intellectual Property Owners Association
7. Joff Wild (9 September 2008). "Dickinson relishing his AIPLA role". Intellectual Asset Management magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
8. Gene Quinn (14 July 2014). "Todd Dickinson Leaves AIPLA". IP Watchdog. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
9. Gene Quinn (9 March 2015). "Former USPTO Director Q. Todd Dickinson Joins Novak Druce". IP Watchdog. Retrieved 9 March 2015.

External links

• Picture and brief biographical sketch of Dickinson from Time Magazine's "The Future of Life" feature