Christopher T. Blackford is a registered patent attorney with more than 15 years of experience practicing all areas of patent law, with particular emphasis on litigation. He also assists with due diligence, licensing, opinion and prosecution matters.
Chris represents clients across a wide range of technical subjects, including software, medical devices, cybersecurity, UAVs, smartphones, video processing, telecommunications, two-way radios, user interfaces, computer architecture, power management, semiconductors, and various Internet-related technologies.
Chris has led litigation teams in multiple forums, appearing before U.S. district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Representing both patent owners and accused infringers, he has litigated numerous cases from conception through trial.
Chris regularly balances parallel Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and district court proceedings, advising clients on strategic implications and strategies. He also conducts IP due diligence and portfolio and landscape analysis, and consults on licensing matters.
Chris presents continuing legal education (CLE) programs on various topics, including aspects of U.S. patent litigation, opinion practices, and post-America Invents Act (AIA) developments.
Before joining Finnegan,Chris served as a judicial extern for the Honorable A. Joe Fish at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He also gained experience as a software and systems engineer at Texas Instruments, Raytheon, and Nokia.
Education :
- Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law J.D., cum laude, 2004
- University of Texas, Dallas M.S., Electrical Engineering, 2001
- University of Texas, Dallas B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1999
Admissions :
- District of Columbia
- Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Professional Activities :
- State Bar of Texas
- American Bar Association
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Order of the Coif
Cost
Rate : $$$