Former Special Assistant to the President and USPTO Chief of Staff Brendan McCommas joins Dinsmore in Washington, D.C.

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP is pleased to welcome Brendan McCommas as its newest attorney in Washington, D.C. The former United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Chief of Staff and White House Special Assistant to the President will practice with the firm’s leading national Intellectual Property department, which manages the portfolios of multiple top-25 Fortune 500 companies. 

McCommas counseled senior White House staff and cabinet officials on a range of intellectual property-related issues, including initiatives targeting the influx of counterfeit goods that damage American businesses. While at the USPTO, he was director Andrei Iancu’s chief advisor in the management of the agency's 13,000 employees and its $3.3 billion budget. McCommas was also a key contributor to the agency’s Section 101 guidance, along with numerous rules for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and he participated in the preparation of dozens of cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court on behalf of the federal government.

McCommas sees a great opportunity in joining Dinsmore’s D.C. office, and in working with Intellectual Property Transactions and Licensing Practice Group Chair Brian O’Shaughnessy, a widely recognized authority in IP transactions in the nation’s capital.

“Dinsmore attorneys do great work, and the firm has an excellent national platform. I interviewed with many firms, and this is the best fit from a professional and policy standpoint,” McCommas said. “Brian O’Shaughnessy is a great lawyer. I met with him and the Licensing Executives Society at the USPTO many times over the past few years, and I always appreciated his collegiality and thoughtful perspective on complex issues. Dinsmore appreciates IP, the value it brings to clients and the importance of having policies that are good for the country. Not every firm can say that.”

McCommas’ first-hand perspective from his time in the federal government stands to greatly benefit clients going forward. And he comes highly recommended from his former boss at the USPTO.

"Brendan has a wealth of IP knowledge, and Dinsmore is lucky to have him,” Iancu said. “He was an excellent chief of staff, and his experience and IP skills will serve his clients well in the years to come."

Dinsmore’s commitment to service and equity in its communities is also a perfect match for McCommas’ background and interests. In years past, he has offered pro bono services that benefit underserved communities and American military veterans – both causes he looks forward to continuing to support at Dinsmore.

McCommas earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School following an M.A. from Georgetown and a B.S.E.E. from Grove City College.