Teresa Stanek Rea  Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO    Teresa Stanek Rea is Acting Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In this role since February 2013, she advises President Obama, the Secretary of Commerce, and the administration on intellectual property matters.    Ms. Rea directs an office that provides incentives to encourage technological advancement and helps businesses protect their investments, promote their goods and services, and safeguard against deception in the marketplace.&nbsp;    Ms. Rea joined the USPTO in 2011 as Deputy Director. She is a leading attorney in the field of intellectual property with more than 25 years of legal experience and a past president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). Before joining the USPTO, Ms. Rea was a partner in Crowell &amp; Moring LLP’s Washington, D.C., office where she focused on intellectual property and dispute resolution related to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life science issues. Ms. Rea has experience in drafting infringement and validity opinions, as well as experience in interference and licensing matters.