Who conducts the reexamination review?
This page is an FAQ based on guidance from the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure. It is provided as guidance, with links to the ground truth sources. This is information only: it is not legal advice.
The reexamination review is conducted by specialized personnel within the USPTO. According to MPEP 2689:
“After a reexamination case is acted on by the examiner and all premailing clerical processing is completed, the case is forwarded to the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) Supervisory Patent Reexamination Specialist (SPRS) or Technology Center (TC) Quality Assurance Specialist (QAS).“
The CRU SPRS or TC QAS are primarily responsible for the review, with potential assistance from paralegals or other technical support staff. This ensures that experienced specialists oversee the quality and compliance of reexamination proceedings.