Patent Attorney, USPTO
Kitisri Sukhapinda
FORUM TOPIC
ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS AND EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES AND BUILDING A ROAD MAP FOR ENHANCED PLANT BREEDING INNOVATION SYSTEMS
Kitisri’s career at the United States Patent and Trademark Office is a dynamic one. She transitioned back to her current role as a Patent Attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) in October 2021, after decades of career accomplishments, including serving as the Regional IP attaché for Southeast Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.
Early on, Kitisri’s love of learning and self-growth led her to earn her B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in scientific fields. But she didn’t stop there–she also holds a J.D.
Her impressive background in both law and science first led her to work at the USPTO in 2007, where she first served as a patent attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs. In that role, Kitisri had the honor, she says, of serving for about 10 years as the U.S. Representative to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva. She was also elected to three-year terms as the Vice President and then President of the UPOV Council, and was awarded a gold medal from the organization.
It was while working as a patent attorney in OPIA that Kitisri gained familiarity with attachés in many regions and came to understand their dynamic responsibilities and impact on the IP community. As a person who constantly seeks new challenges and opportunities for growth, becoming an IP attaché was the perfect next career opportunity that allowed Kitisri to stay at the USPTO. Kitisri severed for four years as the Regional IP attaché for Southeast Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, before returning to her OPIA Patent Attorney role in order to be closer to family.
Early on, Kitisri’s love of learning and self-growth led her to earn her B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in scientific fields. But she didn’t stop there–she also holds a J.D.
Her impressive background in both law and science first led her to work at the USPTO in 2007, where she first served as a patent attorney in the Office of Policy and International Affairs. In that role, Kitisri had the honor, she says, of serving for about 10 years as the U.S. Representative to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), an intergovernmental organization based in Geneva. She was also elected to three-year terms as the Vice President and then President of the UPOV Council, and was awarded a gold medal from the organization.
It was while working as a patent attorney in OPIA that Kitisri gained familiarity with attachés in many regions and came to understand their dynamic responsibilities and impact on the IP community. As a person who constantly seeks new challenges and opportunities for growth, becoming an IP attaché was the perfect next career opportunity that allowed Kitisri to stay at the USPTO. Kitisri severed for four years as the Regional IP attaché for Southeast Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, before returning to her OPIA Patent Attorney role in order to be closer to family.