Former PTAB Vice Chief Judge Melissa Haapala joins Sterne Kessler

Washington, D.C. (April 8, 2025) – Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox announced today that Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Vice Chief Administrative Patent Judge Melissa Haapala has joined the firm as counsel in its Electronics Practice Group. Haapala brings extensive experience from more than a decade at the PTAB, where she presided over hundreds of America Invents Act (AIA) proceedings and ex parte appeals.

“Melissa is an outstanding addition to the firm,” said Michael B Ray, Sterne Kessler’s managing director. “Her decade of service at the PTAB, including her role as vice chief judge, gives her unmatched perspective on the inner workings of the Board. Her broad experience in patent law enhances the depth of our PTAB practice and strengthens our ability to navigate complex post-grant proceedings and deliver exceptional results for our clients.”

As Vice Chief Judge at the PTAB, Haapala had a substantial role in the development and implementation of PTAB policy. She led the pre- and post-issuance review processes put in place to promote decisional quality and consistency and led several rulemaking efforts. She also had significant executive and supervisory responsibilities, including overseeing an operational division of six lead judges and approximately 60 administrative patent judges.

Prior to joining the PTAB, Haapala spent 10 years as in-house counsel – first at Sun Microsystems and later at Ricoh – gaining extensive experience in patent litigation, portfolio management, and open source matters.

At Sterne Kessler, Haapala will assist clients with post-grant proceedings before the PTAB and advise them on PTAB practice and policy. She will also counsel on litigation and licensing strategies, Standard Essential Patent (SEP) issues, and IP due diligence.

Haapala added, “Joining Sterne Kessler is an exciting opportunity to work with some of the best minds in intellectual property law. My time at the PTAB and in-house has provided me with invaluable perspectives, and I look forward to working alongside this talented team to support our clients’ innovations.” 

Haapala earned her J.D. from the University of Denver College of Law, a Master of Science in computer information systems from Regis University, and a B.S. in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado.

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