Kathi Vidal — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Serves as an IP & AI Litigator and Strategist at Winston & Strawn.
Served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO from 2022 to 2024.
Worked as a litigator at Fish & Richardson from 1997 to 2017.
Began her career as an engineer for General Electric and Lockheed Martin, focusing on artificial intelligence, software engineering, and circuitry.
Earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Binghamton University.
Recognized in 2024 on Forbes 50 over 50 list: Innovation and as one of the “remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution.”
Named one of Managing IP’s top 50 most influential people in the world in IP in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Biography

Katherine "Kathi" Kelly Vidal is an American intellectual property lawyer and former engineer. She currently works as an IP & AI Litigator and Strategist at Winston & Strawn. Prior to rejoining Winston & Strawn in December 2024, Vidal served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from 2022 to 2024.