Washington, D.C.– Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has added a seasoned authority in patent law to its expanding life sciences practice with the appointment of Jean Witz as senior patent counsel. Witz brings nearly four decades of experience in scientific and regulatory fields, including a distinguished tenure at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), where she played a leading role in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical patent examination and reexamination.
Witz joins the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, where she will support emerging and established life sciences companies facing complex intellectual property and regulatory challenges. Her deep familiarity with USPTO processes is expected to strengthen the firm’s ability to guide clients through patent prosecution, contested proceedings, and strategic portfolio management.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jean to the team,” said Dr. Louis Lieto, who leads Wilson Sonsini’s Patents and Innovations Department. “Her first-hand understanding of how the USPTO operates—and how it thinks—gives her unique strategic insight that will be invaluable to our clients in biotech and pharma.”
Witz most recently served as a supervisory patent reexamination specialist in the USPTO’s Central Reexamination Unit, where she oversaw a team of examiners handling reexamination and reissue applications across multiple scientific disciplines. Earlier roles included quality assurance specialist and appeals specialist in the agency’s Technology Center 1600, where she helped shape examiner training and led efforts to resolve complex appeal issues.
Beginning her USPTO career in 1988 as a biotechnology examiner, Witz evaluated applications involving therapeutic methods, tissue culture, enzymes, and cosmetic technologies. Her background also includes roles at Battelle and Hazelton Laboratories, where she assessed drug toxicity data for FDA submissions—further reinforcing her scientific expertise.
“Jean has trained the very examiners who make some of the most consequential decisions at the USPTO,” said Michael Rosato, who leads the firm’s USPTO Contested Proceedings practice. “Her addition significantly deepens our ability to advise life sciences clients in high-stakes IP matters.”
Witz’s contributions to the field have earned her multiple accolades, including the USPTO Exceptional and Distinguished Career Awards, the AIPLA Distinguished Service Award, and the USPTO Bronze Medal for Superior Federal Service.
Holding both B.S. and M.S. degrees in biology from George Washington University—where she also earned her J.D.—Witz has also taught biology and intellectual property law at colleges in North Carolina and the D.C. area for more than 35 years.
“Joining Wilson Sonsini is a natural next step,” said Witz. “I look forward to applying my experience in a new way—helping clients approach the patent system with insight, confidence, and a clear strategy.”
