Outlining her vision for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Deputy Director Michelle Lee—whose nomination to head the agency is pending before the Senate—on Thursday stressed quality and innovation in an hourlong talk before a Washington think tank.

Speaking at the Brookings Institution, Lee said it was crucial that patents issue “promptly and accurately,” but recognized “if there is abusive litigation or a patent should not issue, there is also a cost to our businesses.”