USPTO veteran joins Finnegan as of counsel in Washington, DC
Former senior legal advisor at USPTO brings wealth of life sciences experience | Move represents transition back into private practice after two decades.
After almost 20 years at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Mary Till has gone back to private practice by joining Finnegan as of counsel in Washington, DC.
Till served as senior legal advisor in the USPTO’s Office of Patent Legal Administration, with her role including implementing case law, developing pilot programmes, and administering the patent term restoration provisions of the Hatch-Waxman Act.
She was instrumental in implementing the First Inventor to File provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA), and was involved in putting into practice the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) new standard (ST.26) for presenting biotechnology information in patent applications to the USPTO.
Till has a technical background encompassing technologies across a range of industries within the life sciences sector, including small molecules, antibodies, drug formulations, and vaccines.
Before working at the USPTO, she worked in the IP department of a general practice firm and represented pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients from startups to large corporations in all aspects of patent matters.
Till has received a number of accolades for her work, including two gold medals from the Department of Commerce for her role in implementing the AIA First Inventor to File provisions and WIPO standard, and the Exceptional Career award from the USPTO.
Erika Arner, Finnegan’s managing partner, said: “We are excited to welcome Mary to Finnegan.
“Her deep knowledge of patent policy is a real value-add for our clients.”
Till said: “I look forward to applying my skillset at Finnegan. I have always admired the firm as an authority on patent law, particularly in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical space, and I’m excited to transition back into private practice.”
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