US President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Romanian-born Andrei Iancu for the position of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, according to a press release from the White House.

Iancu is currently the Managing Partner of Irell & Manella LLP, where his practice focuses on intellectual property law. He has also been involved in all other aspects of the intellectual property practice, including prosecution, due diligence and licensing.

Andrei Iancu is registered to practice in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. He has represented clients across the technology spectrum, including those associated with medical devices, genetic testing, therapeutics, the Internet, telephony, TV broadcasting, video game systems and computer peripherals, according to information posted on Irell & Manella’s website.

The Hill reports that Irell & Manella, Iancu’s firm, once defended Donald Trump, Mark Burnett Productions and NBC Universal in a case involving copyright claims over the reality TV show "The Apprentice."

Andrei Iancu has appeared in front of the Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. district courts, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  He has published and spoken on intellectual property issues, and taught patent law at UCLA, the White House said in the press release.

He earned his J.D., M.S. in mechanical engineering, and B.S. in aerospace engineering, from UCLA.  Prior to law school, Andrei Iancu was an engineer at Hughes Aircraft.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Irell.com)