Amy J. Nelson

Summary

Amy J. Nelson is a career government attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she serves in the Office of the Solicitor. Her practice is focused on representing the Director of the USPTO in federal court, particularly in appeals from decisions of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In her capacity at the USPTO, she has held titles including Associate Solicitor, Senior Counsel for Patent Policy and Litigation, and, as of May 2025, Acting Solicitor. Her litigation work is exclusively on the defendant side, defending the agency's decisions and procedures as mandated by her role.

Ms. Nelson's background combines extensive experience within the patent system, including nearly a decade as a patent examiner and supervisor in the biotechnology field before pursuing her legal career. Prior to joining the Solicitor's Office in 2010, she was a litigator at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. Her experience is further distinguished by federal judicial clerkships for the Honorable Sharon Prost at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and for the Honorable Edward Damich at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The single tracked case, Corel Software LLC v. United States Patent & Trademark Office, reflects her role in defending the agency itself. Public records also show her arguing or appearing on briefs for the USPTO Director in numerous Federal Circuit appeals concerning patentability and PTAB proceedings, such as in matters involving Celgene Corporation and other patent applicants. Her focus appears to be on appellate litigation and agency procedure rather than a specific technology, although her early career as an examiner was in biotechnology.

Ms. Nelson holds a J.D. from George Washington University Law School, a Ph.D. in plant biology from Ohio State University, and a B.A. in biology from Dartmouth College.