Jennifer Meyer Chagnon

Jennifer Meyer Chagnon is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group. A former Lead Administrative Patent Judge (APJ) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), Jennifer presided over more than 450 inter partes review and post- grant review proceedings under the America Invents Act. She also adjudicated ex parte appeals, reviewing adverse decisions of examiners of applications for patents. She presided over cases in a variety of technology areas including the electrical, computer, chemical, mechanical and biological arts. Additionally, as a Lead APJ, she worked with the PTAB executive team on numerous policy, personnel, and strategy issues. During her nearly ten years as a PTAB APJ, she was front and center during the PTAB’s formative years and through its ensuing evolution under multiple PTO directors.

Prior to joining the USPTO, Jennifer worked in private practice at another law firm, where her practice focused on the preparation and prosecution of patent applications in the areas of semiconductor devices and materials, photovoltaics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, optical recording systems, digital image processing and mechanical devices.  

Her practice focuses on assisting clients with PTAB challenges and developing litigation strategies with an eye toward how PTAB challenges may impact those strategies. Additionally, she combines her patent preparation and prosecution experiences with her PTAB APJ experiences to counsel clients on building strong patent portfolios.

Jennifer received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.S. in chemical engineering, magna cum laude, from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She also has an M.S. in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University.

2018-2022 Speaking Engagements

• “Learn About Improving Ex Parte Appeal Briefs,” Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Boardside Chat, Washington, D.C. – August 2022
• “APJ Panel: Tips to Win,” PTAB Bar Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C. – March 2022
• “Patent Trial and Appeal Board,” Intellectual Property for Engineers, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN – October 2021, May 2018
• “Current Best Practices in Ex Parte Appeals,” PTAB Bar Association Annual Conference, Washington, D.C. – March 2018