David Berdan is the General Counsel. He is the principal legal advisor to the Under Secretary of
Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. He supervises the provision of
legal advice and litigation on intellectual property and administrative matters for the agency. Mr.
Berdan is responsible for providing legal advice on patent, trademark, and copyright matters as
well as administrative issues such as rulemaking, government contracts, personnel, and
budgetary matters. He also coordinates with the Department of Justice, Department of
Commerce, and other agencies in developing the U.S. position on major intellectual property
cases before the Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals.
Prior to working at the USPTO, Mr. Berdan served in a variety of important legal positions,
including as Patent Counsel at Corning, Inc., as Vice President and Intellectual Property Counsel
at The Coleman Company, as Chief Counsel Intellectual Property at INVISTA, as Vice President
Legal and Deputy General Counsel at International Game Technology, and, most recently, as
General Counsel and Compliance Officer of Gaming Arts. Mr. Berdan also spent two years as an
engineer and seven years in private law practice.
Mr. Berdan is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a Bachelor
of Science in engineering and co-captained the Army football team as a defensive back. He is a
combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm and is the recipient of numerous military awards,
including a Bronze Star. Mr. Berdan has a Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School, where
he was a founding member and President of the Drake Intellectual Property Law Society.