Q. Todd Dickinson
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Q. Todd Dickinson (December 21, 1952 – May 3, 2020) was an
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, or USC(IP), is a senior official in the United States Department of Commerce and the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Commerce on the intellectual property matters. In t ...
and director of the
United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark registration authority for the United States. The USPTO's headquarters are in Alexa ...
(USPTO). He was an executive director of the
American Intellectual Property Law Association The American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, is a U.S., voluntary bar association constituted primarily of lawyers in private and corporate practice, in government service, and i ...
(AIPLA), and had been mentioned by some sources for possible reappointment to his former post as director of the USPTO by the
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
administration prior to the appointment of
David Kappos David "Dave" J. Kappos (born March 3, 1961) is an attorney and former government official who served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from 2009 to 2013. K ...
to that post.


Personal

Dickinson was born in
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is known for the high incomes of its residents and high real estate values, as well as its private schools. Geography Boundaries Chestnut Hi ...
, the eldest son of John and Martha Dickinson. His legal first name is "Q", and is not an initial for a name beginning with said letter. Dickinson and his brother John grew up in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, graduating from
Mt. Lebanon High School Mt. Lebanon High School is a four-year, comprehensive high school located in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, with an enrollment of 1,801 students in grades 9–12 for the 2020–2021 school year. Its mascot is the Blue Devil. History The sc ...
. Dickinson and his husband Robert H. Atkins married in 2017, after a decade as partners, they lived in
The Plains, Virginia The Plains is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 245 as of the 2020 census, up from 217 at the 2010 census. It is centered on the intersection of VA 55 (John Marshall Highway) and VA 245 (Old Tavern Road). The ...
.


Early career

Dickinson earned a B.S. degree in
Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
from
Allegheny College he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת , mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1) , faculty = 193 ...
in 1974, and a J.D. from the
University of Pittsburgh School of Law The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law) was founded in 1895. It became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900. Its primary home facility is the Barco Law Building. The school offers four degrees: Master ...
in 1977. He was a member of the Bars of
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, and
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, and was registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Dickinson began his legal career as a patent and trademark lawyer with
Baxter Travenol Laboratories Baxter International Inc. is an American multinational healthcare company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat kidney disease, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. The compan ...
in
Deerfield, Illinois Deerfield is a north shore suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion extending into Cook County, Illinois. The population was 19,196 at the 2020 census. Deerfield is home to the headquarters of Walgreens Boo ...
, and then took a job with the
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, law firm of Blenko, Buell, Ziesenheim and Beck. From 1981 to 1990, he served as counsel for
Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...
in
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, focusing on domestic and international intellectual property matters. Dickinson was a founding member of the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom and served as a national governor of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
. In 1990, Dickinson moved to Philadelphia to be Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property and Technology at Sun Company, Inc., a post he would hold until 1995, when he joined the law firm of Dechert Price & Rhoads. Dickinson was a founding master of the Benjamin Franklin Inn of Court, for intellectual property, in Philadelphia. He was also a member of the Liberty City LGBT+ Democratic Club, the Pride of Philadelphia Election Committee, and the LGBTQ Bar Association.


Career at the USPTO

President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
appointed Dickinson Deputy Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks in June 1998, and he became the Acting Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks on January 1, 1999, succeeding
Bruce Lehman Bruce A. Lehman (born September 19, 1945) served from 1993 to 1998 as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Lehman is noted for being the first openly gay man to be confirmed by ...
. Dickinson was nominated for Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks by President Clinton on July 31, 1999. After confirmation by the Senate, Dickinson took the oath of office, on November 17, 1999, as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks. In 1999, Congress passed the
American Inventors Protection Act The American Inventors Protection Act (AIPA) is a United States federal law enacted on November 29, 1999, as Public Law 106-113. In 2002, the Intellectual Property and High Technology Technical Amendments Act of 2002, Public Law 107-273, amended A ...
, which changed the office and titles to
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property The Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, or USC(IP), is a senior official in the United States Department of Commerce and the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Commerce on the intellectual property matters. In t ...
and director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Dickinson served as the first Under Secretary and director of the USPTO, until January 2001.


After the USPTO

After leaving the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Dickinson joined the
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, office of Howrey Simon Arnold & White, becoming co-chair of its intellectual property practice. He then joined
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
as Vice President & Chief Intellectual Property Counsel. On September 1, 2008, he was named executive director of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He remained in that AIPLA position until July 2014, when he resigned. In March 2015, he joined Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP as Global Chair of its Client Select Strategic Services Group. In 2012, Dickinson was inducted into the Intellectual Property
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
by ''
Intellectual Asset Management ''Intellectual Asset Management'' (''IAM'') is a bimonthlyIntellectual Asset Management web site''Frequently asked questions'' Retrieved 10 February 2010. magazine published in English and focused on "intellectual property from a business point ...
'' magazine. In the Spring of 2016, he joined Polsinelli along with 43 other attorneys from Novak Druce and became a senior partner in its intellectual property practice.


Death and legacy

Dickinson died May 3, 2020, of respiratory failure at a hospital in
Warrenton, Virginia Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, of which it is the seat of government. The population was 9,611 at the 2010 census, up from 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2019 was 10,027. It is at the junction of U.S. R ...
.
Andrei Iancu Andrei Iancu (born April 2, 1968) is an American-Romanian engineer and intellectual property attorney, who served as the under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ...
, then serving as Director of the USPTO, said in a statement that "Todd was immensely knowledgeable and influential in the intellectual property community. He was a warm person and a great friend to many".


References


External links

* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dickinson, Q. Todd 1952 births 2020 deaths American patent attorneys Under Secretaries of Commerce for Intellectual Property Lawyers who have represented the United States government LGBT appointed officials in the United States Clinton administration personnel Lawyers from Pittsburgh Lawyers from Philadelphia California lawyers Illinois lawyers Allegheny College alumni University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni General Electric people