Andrei Iancu

Former Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

 Andrei Iancu is a partner at Irell & Manella LLP, where his practice focuses on intellectual property litigation 

 and counseling. Prior to rejoining the firm in April 2021, he served as the Undersecretary of Commerce for 

 Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a position to which 

 he was confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

 As head of the USPTO, Iancu oversaw one of the largest IP offices in the world, an agency with approximately 

 13,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $3.5 billion. He also served as the administration’s 

 principal advisor on domestic and international IP issues. Among Iancu’s initiatives as director was the creation 

 of the National Council for Expanding American Innovation, a group of industry, academia and government leaders 

 tasked with helping the USPTO develop a comprehensive national strategy to broaden participation in 

 the innovation ecosystem demographically, geographically and economically.

 Prior to his government service, Iancu spent two decades at Irell and served as the firm’s managing partner 

 from 2012 to 2018, the maximum allowable tenure. In his time at the firm, he represented clients in a variety of 

 high-profile matters in district courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 

 the U.S. International Trade Commission and the USPTO. In addition to litigation, Iancu was involved in 

 all other aspects of IP practice, including prosecution, due diligence and licensing. He represented plaintiffs 

 and defendants across the technical and scientific spectra, including those associated with medical devices, 

 genetic testing, therapeutics, the internet, telephony, TV broadcasting, video game systems 

 and computer peripherals.