The U.S. Senate confirmed John Squires on Thursday as the new director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, placing a former law firm partner at the helm of one of Alexandria’s major federal employers.
The 51-47 vote followed a contentious confirmation process that required multiple procedural maneuvers to overcome Democratic opposition. The Senate confirmed Squires as part of an “en bloc” vote that approved 48 nominations simultaneously. Both of Virginia’s Democratic senators opposed the nominations—Tim Kaine and Mark Warner voted “nay”—joining all Democrats and independents while Republicans unanimously supported the nominees.
Squires will lead the USPTO as it navigates complex challenges around artificial intelligence and patent law and heightened competition with China over innovation.
The confirmation brings private sector IP experience to the agency that employs over 13,500 federal workers across an 11-building campus stretching between the King Street and Eisenhower Avenue Metro stations. Unlike most federal agencies, the USPTO operates entirely on user fees rather than taxpayer dollars, processing over 466,000 utility patent applications and nearly 767,000 trademark filings in fiscal year 2024.
Prior to joining the USPTO, Squires served as partner and chair of the IP and Emerging Companies Practice at Dilworth Paxson LLP, where he specialized in intellectual property matters across various technology disciplines. He also taught as an adjunct law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. Squires earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Bucknell University and his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude.
The new director assumes leadership during rapid technological change that has created new challenges for patent law. In February 2024, the USPTO issued guidelines stating that only humans, not artificial intelligence systems, can be named as inventors on patents.
International competition, particularly with China, has intensified scrutiny of the patent system. The agency faces pressure to maintain America’s technological edge while protecting domestic innovations.
When the USPTO relocated from Crystal City to Alexandria in 2005, it brought one of the largest concentrations of federal workers in the Washington metro area. The agency’s presence has attracted intellectual property law firms, patent consultants, and technology companies to the region.
The campus houses nearly 9,000 patent examiners and hundreds of trademark attorneys, along with the National Inventors Hall of Fame. While the USPTO employs over 13,500 people total, the Alexandria campus was built to support a maximum of around 7,000 employees on-site, reflecting the agency’s significant reliance on remote work.
“Leading America’s Innovation Agency—one of the largest IP offices in the world—a nearly $5 billion operation with over 13,500 employees located throughout the 50 states and Puerto Rico—is both humbling and the honor of a lifetime,” Squires said in a statement released by the agency. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to deliver on the promise of American ingenuity and entrepreneurship.”
Squires will also oversee satellite offices in Detroit, Dallas, Denver, and Silicon Valley, though the vast majority of operations remain in Alexandria.
