Christopher’s practice focuses intellectual property law with an emphasis on biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Christopher’s practice focuses on representation of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agricultural companies of all sizes, including the preparation and prosecution of US and foreign patent applications; patentability, infringement, and validity due diligence analyses and opinions. He has legal and patent experience with novel proteins and recombinant DNA; iRNA technology; antibody technology; transgenic animals; gene therapy; bioinformatics; genomics; antimicrobial and cancer therapeutics; imaging and diagnostics, including immunoassays and arrays; plant cell and microbial fermentation methods and equipment; plants; vaccines; therapeutic biologics; superabsorbent polymers; food processing; and biomass processing. In addition, Christopher has research experience in neuroscience and physiology.

Prior joining the firm, Christopher worked as a NIH Postdoctoral Research Fellow and served as a biotechnology patent examiner in the United States Patent & Trademark Office. Christopher is registered to practice before the United States Patent & Trademark Office and the US District Courts for the Eastern, Central and Southern Districts of California.

Relevant Experience

• Prepare and prosecute domestic and foreign patent applications including re-examination, interferences, and appeals.
• Provide patentability, patent validity, and infringement opinions.
• Prepares formal opinions on patent validity, freedom-to-operate (patent clearance), enforceability, patentability, and infringement.
• Portfolio analysis for investment purposes, representing venture capital investors, as well as target companies.

Bar Admissions

Education
JD, The George Washington University Law School, 2009PhD, Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 2001MS, Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, 1997BA, Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, 1995