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Coke Stewart Leaving USPTO to Return to Private Sector
IPWatchdog.com • • business
Key Points:
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Deputy Director Coke Morgan Stewart announced she will leave the agency by the end of the week to return to the private sector.
- Stewart, who served as Acting USPTO Director in early 2025, was credited with swiftly addressing a significant patent backlog and implementing patent-friendly policies during her tenure.
- With over a decade of senior management experience at the USPTO and a background as Deputy Attorney General for Virginia, Stewart brought extensive expertise in intellectual property law and appellate litigation.
- She introduced key initiatives such as the interim Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Workload Management process and the "settled expectations" doctrine to rebalance America Invents Act cases.
- The USPTO has not yet announced who will succeed Stewart as Deputy Director.
