Robin Evans Named Acting Commissioner for Patents at USPTO as Leadership Transitions

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) appointed Robin Evans as Acting Commissioner for Patents on May 1, 2026, following the retirement of Valencia Martin-Wallace. The USPTO simultaneously published an updated organizational chart detailing the office’s new structure, including revised Deputy Commissioner positions.

Robin Evans’s Background

Evans began her career at the USPTO as a patent examiner in the mechanical technology area. She went on to serve as a supervisory patent examiner in electrical heating and fluid handling technologies, and later as a management quality assurance specialist in related disciplines.

She was selected as the first regional manager of the USPTO’s inaugural regional office in Detroit, Michigan, and was subsequently appointed to the Senior Executive Service as director of Technology Center 2800, which covers semiconductor and electronic circuit technologies. She also served as interim director of the Rocky Mountain Regional Office in Denver, Colorado. Immediately prior to her current appointment, Evans served as Acting Associate Commissioner for Patent Quality.

ASAP! AI Search Pilot Extended

Evans’s appointment comes amid a period of active operational changes at the USPTO.

On April 16, the USPTO extended its Artificial Intelligence Search Automated Pilot Program (ASAP!) through June 1, 2026, to gather additional data on the program’s effectiveness in improving prior art search quality and efficiency. The agency also continued to waive petition fees under 37 C.F.R. § 1.17(f) for applications submitted to participate in the program.

First Office Actions Exceed New Filings for First Time in Nearly a Decade

On April 10, the USPTO announced that, for the first time in nearly a decade, the number of first office actions issued within a fiscal year had exceeded the number of new applications filed during the same period. Director Squires highlighted the milestone as evidence of significantly improved examination capacity and sustained backlog reduction efforts, crediting improvements in examiner productivity and the use of AI-assisted search tools.

PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) Pilot

On April 8, the USPTO launched the PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) Pilot Program. Under the program, selected applications that have completed PCT international phase work are issued an examiner’s requirement to elect one of three options: proceed with examination leveraging international phase work products, delay examination, or expressly abandon the application. The initiative is designed to reduce examination redundancy and improve efficiency by building on existing international search reports.

Significance of the Transition

Evans is a career USPTO professional whose experience spans examination, patent quality oversight, and regional office management. Her elevation to Acting Commissioner signals continuity with existing efficiency-focused initiatives rather than a change in policy direction.

The transition follows a sustained period of operational and policy reform under Director Squires, including tighter restrictions on IPR filings, reinterpretation of § 101 eligibility standards, and the largest reductions in examination pendency in over a decade. Patent practitioners should monitor whether Evans’s tenure brings any adjustments to quality metrics or to the scope of pilot programs currently in operation.