John A. Squires Appointed Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has welcomed its new Director, John A. Squires, who also serves as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property.

John A. Squires received a B.A. in Chemistry, with an emphasis in organic chemistry, from Bucknell University and a J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and the Order of Koivu.

Prior to joining the USPTO, John A. Squires was a partner and head of Intellectual Property and Emerging Companies at Dilworth Paxson LLP and an adjunct professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. He has extensive experience in all areas of intellectual property and emerging companies, including patent and trademark asset creation, procurement and acquisition, transactions, licensing, company formation, governance, and structuring high-stakes litigation, regulatory, and risk management matters across various scientific and technological fields.

John A. Squires founded the first patent-based financial platform in the United States for a leading global fund. He has also led the creation, launch, and served on the boards of several IP and risk-related companies, including iQ4, Risk Assistance Network + Exchange (RANE), and FinClusive. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, John A. Squires worked with 20 of the world's top financial institutions to establish the nation's first anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing consortium, built on fast-track patents to combat terrorism. His previous work in FinTech/RegTech included pioneering efforts focused on financial inclusion and empowerment, impact investing, and global standard-setting and compliance. Mr. Squires began his IP/FinTech career as Chief Intellectual Property Counsel at Goldman Sachs from 2000 to 2009.

Coke Morgan Stewart, who was appointed Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO in January 2025, has been serving as Acting Under Secretary and Acting Director of the USPTO. She will continue to work alongside Director Squires in her current role.