Congratulations to Sharon Israel on her new leadership role at the USPTO. I was happy to learn that Director Vidal has appointed Sharon Israel as its new Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs. Ms. Israel has been a leader of the patent bar for many yeas and will bring tremendous expertise to this important role overseeing the USPTO's policy and international programs. For the past few years, she has been a partner at Shook Hardy focusing on patent litigation -- primarily on the defense side.