Jones Day welcomes former USPTO Deputy Commissioner for Patents Charles Kim in Washington
Charles Kim will join Jones Day as a partner in its global Intellectual Property Practice. He is based in the Firm's Washington Office.
Mr. Kim brings more than 24 years of experience in intellectual property law, with particular depth in patent law, patent policy, and disruptive technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Prior to joining Jones Day, Mr. Kim served as Deputy Commissioner for Patents — Legal at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where he served as principal patent counsel to the Chief Operating Officer of the Patents organization. In that role, he provided executive leadership to the Office of Petitions, the Office of Patent Legal Administration, the Office of Patent Quality Assurance, the Central Reexamination Unit, and the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure staff. Mr. Kim also provided executive oversight to the Office of International Patent Cooperation. Additionally, he led the USPTO's Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Working Group, which developed national AI intellectual property policies, including Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions, Guidance on Use of AI Tools before the USPTO, and the Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, including on AI.
"Charles brings an extraordinary depth of hands-on experience shaping U.S. patent policy at the highest levels, particularly at the intersection of patent law and artificial intelligence," said Anthony M. Insogna, Practice Leader of Jones Day's Intellectual Property Practice. "His two decades of leadership at the USPTO, including his role in developing the Office's guidance on AI-assisted inventions, gives our clients a rare and valuable perspective as they navigate patent protection for emerging technologies."
At Jones Day, Mr. Kim joins a thriving team of more than 225 professionals worldwide who represent innovators across the globe with their most important litigation, technology-driven transactions, and IP assets. Jones Day is one of the few global law firms with a full-service Intellectual Property Practice, handling matters in, and for clients based in, Australia, China, Korea, Asia, Europe, Japan, and the United States.
"Charles's decades of public service and his standing as a leading authority on patent law and policy make him a tremendous addition to our Washington Office," said Noel Francisco, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Washington Office. "His experience advising the USPTO Director and representing the agency before the National Science and Technology Council gives him an important vantage point on where patent law is headed, and our clients will benefit enormously from his counsel."
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with High Honors from Rutgers University, Mr. Kim received his Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School. He also holds an Executive Certificate in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School where his coursework included "Leading in Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Technology and Policy." He is admitted to practice in Virginia.
"Jones Day's reputation in IP and its global collaboration across offices, made this opportunity an attractive next step in my career," said Mr. Kim. "I look forward to drawing on my experience shaping patent policy at the USPTO, particularly around AI and emerging technologies, to help our clients protect and enforce their IP. I am eager to join the team in Washington and to work with my IP colleagues around the world.
