Sharon Israel is the Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In this position, she serves as a policy advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO and Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Deputy Director of the USPTO. She oversees the USPTO’s domestic and international policy matters related to intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement and on IP-related trade issues, including proposed legislation and international activities of the U.S. She also oversees the Office of Policy and International Affairs’ (OPIA) education and training programs through the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA); global advocacy initiatives through the IP Attaché Program; and economic analyses through the Office of the Chief Economist, among her many duties.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Ms. Israel was a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., specializing in intellectual property law with an emphasis in patent litigation. During her career, she has litigated patents related to a variety of industries and technologies, including wireless communications, oil field equipment, consumer electronics, chemicals, and medical devices.
Ms. Israel has served in leadership roles such as the President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association; Chair of the State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Law Section; President of the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association; President of The Honorable Nancy F. Atlas Intellectual Property American Inn of Court; President of the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law; Membership Officer of the American Bar Association’s Section of Intellectual Property Law; and on the Board of Governors for the Federal Circuit Bar Association.
Ms. Israel received her law degree and Masters of Business Administration from Emory University. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.