Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox announced today that Jacqueline (Jackie) D. Wright Bonilla, former Deputy Chief Administrative Patent Judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), has joined the firm as a director in the Biotechnology & Chemical and Trial & Appellate Practice Groups.
Bonilla brings over a decade of experience at the PTAB, as well as her service in a variety of senior positions at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including Senior Legal Advisor to the USPTO Director and Acting Director for the USPTO’s Central Reexamination Unit (CRU). As Deputy Chief Administrative Patent Judge at the PTAB for many years, she managed operations and oversaw all judges and Board staff, including Vice Chief Judges, Lead Judges, and more than 200 Administrative Patent Judges. She presided over hundreds of America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings, including inter partes reviews (IPRs) and post-grant reviews (PGRs), reexaminations, legacy interferences, and ex parte appeals, across biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices, and a range of other technologies.
Bonilla’s arrival comes on the heels of former PTAB judges and leaders Jennifer Meyer Chagnon and Melissa Haapala joining the firm, further strengthening Sterne Kessler’s PTAB and IP litigation capabilities. Together, they bring a rare insider’s perspective that enhances the firm’s ability to advise clients on complex patent litigation and strategy.
“We are known as a PTAB powerhouse, and Jackie’s addition further enhances that position,” said Michael B. Ray, managing director of Sterne Kessler. “Her leadership at the PTAB and the USPTO generally, combined with her deep experience in biotechnology and pharmaceutical IP, strengthens our bench and gives us a sharper edge in delivering exceptional service to our clients.”
At Sterne Kessler, Bonilla will focus on life sciences patent litigation and pre-litigation matters, including advising on PTAB challenges and policy, ex parte reexaminations, complex patent interferences, ITC proceedings, and federal district court and appellate litigation.
“Sterne Kessler’s reputation as a leader in all aspects of IP litigation and USPTO practice, including complex matters before the PTAB and CRU, is second to none, and I’m truly excited to be a part of this exceptional team,” said Bonilla. “Having seen firsthand the firm’s top-tier advocacy and innovative thinking, I look forward to contributing my experience and collaborating with my new colleagues to deliver creative strategies that drive real impact for our clients.”
Prior to her time at the PTAB, Bonilla worked for 12 years in private practice and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Randall Rader at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Journal of Law & Technology, a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology from the University of Virginia, and a B.A. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
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