PTAB Vice Chief Judge Scott Weidenfeller Returns to Covington

PTAB Vice Chief Judge Scott Weidenfeller Returns to Covington

October 18, 2021

WASHINGTON—Scott C. Weidenfeller, former Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, has rejoined Covington’s Patent Litigation Practice as a partner based in the firm’s Washington office.

Since 2017, Scott has been one of the PTAB’s four Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judges. In this position, he was a key leader of the PTAB and advisor to the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with significant responsibility for developing and implementing PTAB trial procedures and Board policy and communicating with the Patent Office’s stakeholders.

From 2009 to 2017, Scott worked in the Office of the Solicitor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, first as an Associate Solicitor and then as Senior Counsel for Patent Law and Litigation. His primary responsibilities included managing and defending litigation against the Patent Office involving the America Invents Act, including challenges to PTAB post-issuance proceedings. Scott also oversaw the Patent Office’s decisions on whether to intervene in appeals from PTAB decisions in both AIA post-issuance proceedings and inter partes reexaminations, and he advised the Patent Office regarding the rules governing post-issuance proceedings. His responsibilities in the Solicitor’s Office also included defending PTAB decisions before the federal district courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. During his time at the Patent Office, Scott also played an important role on every patent-related case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

From 2004 to 2009, Scott was an associate in Covington’s Patent Litigation Practice, where he represented the firm’s clients in a wide range of district court patent cases, as well as in appellate matters before the Federal Circuit.

“The addition of Scott will add a second former PTAB judge to the firm’s deep bench of patent litigators,” said Michael Plimack, Co-Chair of Covington’s Patent Litigation Practice Group. “Having presided over inter partes reviews, in addition to his years of experience in PTAB leadership and in representing the USPTO in litigation, he will provide unique insights to help our clients develop their strategies in IPRs and other post-issuance proceedings before the Board, appeals to the Federal Circuit, and other patent litigation. Scott is one of the leading experts in the country in these practice areas. We are delighted to have him back at Covington.”

“Covington boasts one of the most prominent and successful PTAB practices in the country. I couldn’t be more excited to rejoin my colleagues,” said Scott.

Scott received his law degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University and graduated from Rice University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Economics. Prior to joining Covington in 2004, he clerked for Judge Timothy Dyk of the Federal Circuit.