Cummins Inc. announced that Sharon R. Barner, formerly a top official in the U.S. Department of Commerce and a leading expert on intellectual property, has joined the company as its Vice President -General Counsel. Barner served as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from 2009 to 2011. At Cummins, Barner will report to Marya Rose, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. Rose was the Company's General Counsel before taking on her new role.