Amanda F. Wieker Partner

Amanda joined McGuireWoods from her role as Acting Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), where she spent nearly ten years adjudicating patentability disputes. As an Administrative Patent Judge, Amanda presided over hundreds of proceedings and adjudicated over 250 contested IPRs and post grant reviews under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA). Amanda also presided over 440 ex parte appeal proceedings, reviewing the decisions of USPTO patent examiners. Amanda heard cases in a wide variety of technologies including the medical, mechanical, and electrical arts.

In addition to her case work, Amanda was instrumental in shaping PTAB policies and procedures, including through rulemaking. For example, Amanda put into practice the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Arthrex by creating an effective and sustainable process to allow the USPTO Director to review PTAB decisions. Through this process, she advised USPTO’s Director on nearly 400 requests for Director Review and assisted in issuing Director Review decisions in over 60 cases.

Amanda also created and developed the PTAB’s Legal Experience and Advancement Program (LEAP), which provided incentives and training to support newer patent practitioners in early oral argument opportunities at the PTAB. To that end, Amanda developed and hosted numerous training programs, including a successful annual mock argument program for newer patent attorneys and agents.

Prior to her appointment as a PTAB Administrative Patent Judge, Amanda practiced law at an international law firm where she focused on high-stakes patent infringement cases before various U.S. district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the PTAB. Amanda began her career as a Patent Examiner with the USPTO, where she examined mechanical patent applications in the medical device and fluid handling arts.

Amanda is a respected and sought-out thought leader who has devoted considerable time to public messaging on PTAB’s policies and procedures, especially regarding review of PTAB decisions, the impact of PTAB precedent, and oral and written advocacy skills.