Sughrue Mion Partner to Head IP Law Group

Alan Kasper, a senior partner and patent lawyer at Washington-based Sughrue Mion, has been named president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the firm announced Monday.

Kasper has spent more than 30 years as a member of the Arlington, VA- headquartered association, which was formed to improve intellectual property laws and has more than 17,000 members. Since 1968, he has practiced patent law, working as an examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and chief patent counsel for Communications Satellite Corporation before joining Sughrue two decades ago.

Kasper will serve a one-year term, then another year as past president. Much of that time will be spent coordinating dozens of committees that deal with wide-ranging topics like international relations, FDA law and domestic legislation. The group also files several amicus briefs yearly at the Supreme Court and federal circuit courts. Though he’s retaining his firm partnership, he said the job will take up at least half, if not three-quarters, of his working time. “It’s obviously an important position and the firm has made accommodations for me,” he said. “Fortunately for technology, I can work remotely.”

Kasper has worked abroad extensively with Sughrue, once heading the Tokyo office, and as president, he said he hopes to expand the association’s international presence.

He said he also wants to work with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to streamline patent laws and make them more user-friendly plus help pass a patent reform bill that ends Congressional diversion of public funds from the patent office. “That of course leaves the patent office with less money,” he said. “A lot of the problems we face today are because of that underfunding.” He said he’s hoping to see a bill scheduled for floor time this year.

Comments

[staff]

"He said he also wants to work with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to streamline patent laws and make them more user-friendly plus help pass a patent reform bill..."

There is no such provision in the present bill. Plus, all those it does contain will legalize theft by large business.

Patent reform is a fraud on America...
Please see http://truereform.piausa.org/ for a different/opposing view on patent reform.