Carol Bidwell is the supervisor of the Office of PCT Legal Administration at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Previously, she served as supervisor of the PCT Special Programs division and as a special programs examiner in that division. Before joining the Office of PCT Legal Administration, she was a primary patent examiner in the biotechnology group. She was awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal for her work in the development of U.S. regulations and international standards for the submission of nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences in patent applications.

Ms. Bidwell lectures extensively on PCT practice and procedures. She has a B.S. in microbiology from Syracuse University and did graduate work in biochemistry at George Washington University. Prior to joining the USPTO, she worked as a clinical microbiologist.

Samson Helfgott has practiced for more than 30 years in domestic and international patent, trademark and copyright matters, international patent strategy, and patent and trademark administration before foreign patent tribunals. He is a prolific writer and lecturer, who is frequently published in the area of international litigation pertaining to patents.

For many years, Mr. Helfgott was the coordinator of an annual program on Global Intellectual Property for the Practising Law Institute (PLI). He has lectured at all the major U.S. bar associations, including the ABA, AIPLA and IPO. He has also lectured in Europe, Japan and the Middle East.

Mr. Helfgott is a member of the American Bar Association (IPL Section) where he heads all of the international intellectual property matters, serving as international activities coordinator. He is chairman of the Harmonization Committee of the New York Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law Association (Board of Directors 1986-89). He is chairman of the Foreign Practice Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association. He has chaired many committees at the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He is currently the treasurer of the International Intellectual Property Society (President, 1994-96). He serves on the U.S. Bar, EPO Liaison Council, having previously been its chairman. He was the founder and first chairman of the U.S. Bar/JPO Liaison Council. He has represented the American Bar Association at international meetings and at international diplomatic conferences on world patent harmonization. He also is an advisory board member of and contributor to World Intellectual Property Report, BNA International, Inc., London, England.

In addition to the many articles he has published in professional journals, Mr. Helfgott writes a quarterly news article on international intellectual property matters for the American Bar Association’s IPL Newsletter. He is also coordinator of the international IP List Serve for the ABA.

After graduating from the City College of the City University of New York with a B.E.E. degree in 1961, Mr. Helfgott earned graduate degrees at Yeshiva University (M.H.L., 1962) and New York University (M.E.E., 1963). In 1972, he earned his law degree from Fordham University School of Law, and subsequently earned a doctoral degree (D.H.L.) from Yeshiva University in 1974.

Mr. Helfgott is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

John Hornickel is intellectual property counsel for PolyOne Corporation, one of the world’s leading polymer service companies. He has practiced intellectual property law for more than 25 years and is a frequent speaker at CLE events on the Patent Cooperation Treaty and other patent and trademark matters. He has also spoken on behalf of the World Intellectual Property Organization on PCT matters in Switzerland, Mexico, Israel, South Africa and Singapore.

Prior to joining PolyOne, Mr. Hornickel was employed at Oldham & Oldham, Figgie International, 3M Company, and Bridgestone/Firestone.

Mr. Hornickel is vice-chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s PCT Issues Committee and vice-chair of the University of Akron Law School’s Advisory Council to the Center for Intellectual Property Law. He is also a member of the U.S. Bar/EPO Liaison Council.

In the past, Mr. Hornickel has served on the Intellectual Property Owners Association board of directors and several IPO committees. He was also chair of AIPLA’s PCT Issues Committee, and represented the AIPLA at ad-hoc working groups on PCT legal matters at WIPO in Geneva. He is an emeritus member of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsels.

Mr. Hornickel is admitted to practice in Ohio, Virginia, Minnesota, and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Organization (USPTO). He is a cum laude graduate of Davidson College, where he earned a degree in chemistry, and Wake Forest University School of Law.

Louis Maassel has worked as a consultant to the PCT Legal Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since 1991. He is available to give presentations and answer questions from applicants, attorneys and agents concerning the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

Prior to joining WIPO, Mr. Maassel served a long tenure at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He began as a patent examiner in 1957 and became editor of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure in 1968. In addition, from 1970 to 1990, he assisted in the preparation of draft legislation involving changes to U.S. patent law and was involved in drafting the many proposed and final changes to the U.S. rules of practice in patent cases.

Mr. Maassel was also the advisor to the USPTO Committee on Enrollment, which is responsible for preparing and grading examinations for attorneys and agents to be registered to practice before the USPTO in patent cases. He served as primary expert on questions relating to U.S. patent procedure.

Representing the United States, Mr. Maassel took part in numerous PCT-related meetings at WIPO and in Tokyo between 1974 and 1990. He was chairman of the committee responsible for implementing PCT Chapters I and II in the USPTO. He also represented the U.S. at many meetings of the Committee of Experts on the Harmonization of Patent Laws at WIPO in Geneva, as well as in U.S. private circle meetings and the “Club of 15” meetings held in preparation for the WIPO meetings.

During his years at the USPTO, Mr. Maassel received bronze, silver and gold medals from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The gold medal is the highest award given by the department. It was awarded to Mr. Maassel for his role in implementing the Patent Cooperation Treaty in the United States.

Mr. Maasel is currently based in Bowie, Maryland.