Coke Morgan Stewart will leave her role as USPTO Deputy Director to return to the private sector by the end of this week.
Coke Morgan Stewart will depart her position as Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) by the end of this week. The administration announced that she was appointed as Acting USPTO Director by President Trump on January 20, 2025, and she has been credited with aggressively tackling the agency's significant backlog and enacting patent-friendly policies. Stewart informed Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and USPTO Director John Squires of her departure. Having served in various senior management roles at the USPTO for over a decade, Stewart returned to the agency to lead during a period of operational challenges. She successfully implemented an interim process for Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Workload Management and introduced the "settled expectations" doctrine to rebalance AIA cases. During her tenure, Stewart focused on aligning the agency with the expectations of the administration. She noted that her familiarity with the agency allowed her to take quick action to turn the tide on the record-breaking backlog she inherited.