Two TTAB Administrative Trademark Judges Appointed

Chief Judge Gerard F. Rogers has announced the appointments of David K. Heasley and Cynthia C. Lynch to the position of Administrative Trademark Judge for the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. This brings the number of TTAB judges to twenty-five (XXV).

David Heasley comes to the Board following a three-decade long career as a litigator, including fifteen years specializing in the litigation of trademark matters. During his time as a partner in the firm of Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, and more recently with Smith, Gambrell & Russell, Mr. Heasley represented such clients as the National Grange, Nike, FIFA, Major League Soccer, the Red Cross and the International Olympic Committee. Because of his experience representing both large, well-financed clients and non-profit or charitable organizations, Mr. Heasley has developed a deep appreciation of the varying litigation priorities for a wide variety of organizations. He also has developed a keen understanding of the differences between Board and district court litigation. Mr. Heasley’s experience also includes frequent appearances in ex parte appeal cases at the Board. As the author of many articles on various trademark topics, a regular member of the committee that organizes the Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition, and a lecturer for foreign judges and government officials on American trademark law, Mr. Heasley is well-versed in a wide variety of current trademark issues.

Before embarking on his long career as a litigator, Mr. Heasley served for two years as an Appellate Law Clerk for the Maryland Court of Special Appeals. Mr. Heasley earned his law degree with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law, and his bachelor’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University.

Cynthia C. Lynch joins the Board after having served the USPTO as the Administrator for Trademark Policy and Procedure for nine years. In that position, Ms. Lynch has engaged in frequent interaction with the TTAB regarding the legal issues that arise in ex parte examination, appeals, and in the international arena, an increasingly important aspect of Board work. Prior to assuming her position as a Trademark Administrator, Ms. Lynch spent five years handling high-level responsibilities as an Associate Solicitor. In that position, she represented the USPTO in intellectual property litigation, primarily defending TTAB and patent board decisions on appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and in numerous federal district courts. In addition, Ms. Lynch frequently served as liaison to the United States Solicitor General’s Office (SG) to provide USPTO input on SG amicus curiae briefs and arguments before the United States Supreme Court.

Ms. Lynch’s legal career began with three years of service as a litigation and intellectual property associate in private practice. She then served three years as an Attorney-Advisor at the International Trade Commission. In that position, Ms. Lynch worked for an Administrative Law Judge handling all aspects of Section 337 trial proceedings involving patent, trademark, infringement/unfair competition and importation issues. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina, Ms. Lynch earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

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Text Copyright John L. Welch 2015.