Nathan Kelley

Nathan K. Kelley assists clients with patent appeals, inter partes reviews at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and related U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) work. A veteran appellate advocate, Nate has argued more than 50 Federal Circuit appeals, including several en banc cases arising from both district court litigation and USPTO proceedings. His unique perspective is built on a career at the highest levels of the USPTO, where he oversaw the defense of hundreds of decisions of the PTAB and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. 

Nate handles IP matters involving a full range of technologies, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, software, and computer networking. Beyond litigation, Nate's experience includes helping develop USPTO rules and guidelines, shaping federal policy on various IP matters, and internally counseling the USPTO on its implementation of trial proceedings under the America Invents Act (AIA). 

As its solicitor and deputy general counsel for IP law, Nate managed all IP litigation for the USPTO and participated in many of the most significant patent and trademark cases in recent years. Nate also acted as the agency's chief administrative patent judge, leading the PTAB during a critical period as it was coming up to speed with its jurisdiction over inter partes reviews under the AIA.