Andrew Baluch

Special Counsel
Foley & Lardner LLP

Andrew Baluch is an Intellectual Property law special counsel with Foley & Lardner LLP and serves as vice chair of the firm's Patent Office Trials Group. He advises companies on global IP strategies, including international portfolio management, IP diligence reviews, opinions, licensing, litigation, patent reexamination, and trade secret protection. As a member of the firm’s China practice, Mr. Baluch provides clients with information on the impact of the Chinese legal environment and consultancy on international conventions, including the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Mr. Baluch is a former director of international IP enforcement in the White House Office of the IP Enforcement Coordinator. In this role, he oversaw the implementation of all international IP enforcement initiatives in the U.S. Government’s Joint Strategic Plan on IP Enforcement and coordinated U.S. Embassy personnel stationed in 17 priority countries, including China, Brazil, Russia and India. His responsibilities also included convening inter-agency teams to assist companies facing IP theft abroad and participating in all major bilateral trade dialogues with China, including the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce & Trade (JCCT) and the U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED).

Prior to his White House appointment, he was an expert legal advisor to the under secretary and director of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO). During his tenure with the USPTO, he participated in numerous trade missions to China, advised the director on IP litigation, drafted regulations for public comment, and helped draft the USPTO’s 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. In this role, he gained particular experience in post-grant patent disputes handled within the USPTO.