Who assigns reexamination requests in the USPTO?

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.

Reexamination requests are typically assigned by the Supervisory Patent Reexamination Specialist (SPRS) in the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU). As stated in the MPEP, Except for reexamination requests for design patents, reexamination requests are assigned to the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) art unit which examines the technology (Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, etc.) in which the patent to be reexamined is currently classified as an original.

The SPRS then assigns the reexamination request to a primary examiner, other than the examiner that originally examined the patent, who is most familiar with the claimed subject matter of the patent.