Ex-USPTO Acting Deputy Director Coke Morgan Joins O’Melveny in Washington

Ex-USPTO Acting Deputy Director Coke Morgan Joins O’Melveny in Washington

Coke Morgan Stewart has joined O’Melveny & Myers as Senior Counsel in the intellectual property and technology practice group in Washington.

She will advise clients on intellectual property matters, including litigation, Patent Trial and Appeal Board matters, and appeals to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Stewart has more than 25 years of experience. During her tenure at the USPTO, she held several senior roles, including Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director, Senior Counsel to the Director, Acting Chief of Staff, Acting Deputy Solicitor, and Associate Solicitor.

In these positions over the course of several presidential administrations, Stewart worked closely with USPTO Directors, as well as the Department of Commerce and other executive branch departments to formulate intellectual property policy.

Stewart’s appellate experience at the USPTO includes advising on numerous patent, trademark, and copyright cases before the US Supreme Court, as well as handling more than 50 appeals before the Federal Circuit.

Stewart comes to O’Melveny after serving as Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia since January 2022.

Prior to her government service, she worked in private practice in the Washington, DC office of Kaye Scholer LLP, where she was a member of the Intellectual Property Practice Group. She has litigated countless complex patent infringement cases for both patent holders and accused infringers, including two to jury verdict in the Eastern District of Texas and in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Ryan Yagura, Chair of O’Melveny’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group said, “We are delighted to welcome Coke to O’Melveny. Her impressive credentials, deep knowledge of intellectual property law and policy, and strong litigation skills, especially at the appellate level make her an excellent addition to our award-winning Intellectual Property and Technology team and to our expanding presence in DC.”

Sharing her delight, Stewart commented, “I am honored and excited to join O’Melveny, one of the top law firms in the country with a well-earned reputation as a litigation powerhouse. I am thrilled to work with such stellar lawyers, including many former USPTO and PTAB colleagues, and to add my trial and appellate experience to the outstanding Intellectual Property & Technology team.”

Stewart’s arrival expands O’Melveny’s formidable East Coast capabilities and bolsters the firms already acclaimed Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group.