"She served as Deputy General Counsel and Head of Patents and Patent Strategy for Google from 2003 to 2012"

"Lee's first position with the USPTO was as Director of the Office's’s Silicon Valley satellite office.[10]"

I would say, the day she walked out of Google HQ.

"Lee has been the director of the Silicon Valley satellite office for the past year."

Maybe 10 months ,in any event, shortly after she has full charge of the USPTO

"She was appointed Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director on January 13, 2014.[10]"

"Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker appointed Michelle K. Lee, former deputy general counsel at Google Inc., as deputy director of the Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 11.

Because the office is operating without a director right now, Lee will perform the director's duties while the search continues for a permanent head for the agency. A press release indicated that Lee will assume the role--but not the title--of acting director effective Jan. 13.

Lee left Google in May 2012 before taking the PTO post in the Silicon Valley satellite office, which was created under the America Invents Act, in November. But with the PTO subject to the sequester, the PTO had difficulty finding a permanent home for the office."

link

2013 was a very short ride to the top....IMVHO, corporate influence @ its finest.

From Google straight to an insider appointed position @ the top.

The belated formalities:

"In October 2014, President Barack Obama announced that he intended to nominate Lee to the office of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, heading the USPTO on a permanent basis.[11][12] Obama officially nominated Lee on November 11,[13] and her initial confirmation hearing was held December 10.[14] However, Congress adjourned without her confirmation, and the nomination was returned to the President on December 17.[13]

Under Senate rules, in order for Lee to be confirmed, Obama needed to re-nominate her to the Senate of the 114th Congress,[14] and he did so on January 8, 2015.[15] Her second confirmation hearing was held January 21,[16][17]and the Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously in favor of her confirmation on February 26.[18]

Lee was confirmed by the full Senate by voice vote[15] on March 9, 2015,[19] and took the oath of office on March 12, when she was sworn in by Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.[20]"

Link

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Her legacy with GOOGLE...Head of Patents and Patent Strategy

How are we going to beat that?

To a degree....GOOGLE now owns the PTO...

doni