Ex-PTAB Judge Excited for Variety at Sterne Kessler

Managing IP spoke to Counsel Melissa Haapala on her return to private practice and joining Sterne Kessler. The former vice chief administrative patent judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) is excited to be able to work on PTAB matters as well as district and appellate court litigation and matters before the U.S. International Trade Commission. “Sterne Kessler is a great place to do that. Patent law is an exciting field, and I’m interested in a broad variety of patent areas within that field,” Haapala said.

Haapala was at the USPTO since 2014 and was in various in-house counsel roles since 2005. She notes, “I’ve been in-house and in government for a long time, and I’m excited to be able to represent clients and help with them their needs.”

“I’m excited to advocate. It’s been fun as a judge to be a neutral arbitrator, but a lot of us attorneys are naturally geared towards advocating and wanting to help.”

Haapala also looks forward to helping the firm’s clients with policy issues at the PTAB, commenting “The USPTO director sets policy for the office, and each administration has its own policy goals. With each change of administration, you see new initiatives. I have experience navigating those changes and am looking forward to using that.”