Michelle Lee, formerly deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, has been confirmed as head of the agency, The Hill newspaper reported Monday.
Jordain Carney and Mario Trujillo write a Senate voice vote sealed the nomination of Lee, who will also serve as undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property.
Lee was nominated to the post in 2014 and testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee in December, where she expressed support for legislation that would curb what the USPTO considers as trivial patent lawsuits, according to the report.
Lee served as general counsel and patent policy lead at Google before she joined the USPTO in 2012 as the first director of the agency’s Silicon Valley office, Reuters reports.
Andrew Chung writes the patent office has been without a confirmed leader for more than two years since David Kappos departed the agency.
