TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 22, 2025

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed John Squires, a former chief intellectual property attorney at Goldman Sachs, to lead the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under President Trump. Squires was confirmed as part of a push by the Senate to approve dozens of Trump nominees at once. The USPTO is responsible for issuing U.S. patents and trademarks and advising the government on intellectual property policy. The office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board reviews the validity of existing patents. Squires will head the USPTO as it faces increasing competition with China on innovation and questions about the role of artificial intelligence in inventing, Reuters reports. Trump nominated Squires in March to lead the office. He succeeds Kathi Vidal, who served as director during the Biden administration.