Howard T Markey
First chief justice of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the United States
IP Hall of Fame inductee in 2006
Markey was a driving force for the creation of the US Federal Circuit Court of Appeal and its first chief justice. Among other things, the Federal Circuit was established to hear all appeals of district court decisions in patent cases, helping to harmonise patent law and practice in the US, so creating much greater certainty for patent owners and encouraging them to invest in expensive R&D projects. He also served as judge and chief judge of the late Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, which heard cases resulting from decisions of the US Patent and Trademark Office. After stepping down from the bench, Markey served as dean of the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago.