Overview

Businesses large and small rely on Chris Thompson for his exceptional skill in preparing and prosecuting patents to protect their most important inventions.

For more than 20 years, Chris has worked as an intellectual property lawyer advising clients on strategies to protect and maximize the value of their innovations worldwide. While most lawyers focus on just a few areas, Chris has experience in a range of technical fields, including software, mechanical engineering, electrical power distribution, electronic devices, cooling systems, hydrocarbon production, medical device technologies, and others. Throughout the years, in addition to prosecuting hundreds of patents, Chris has advised on infringement, freedom to operate, patentability, trademark and copyright protection, licensing agreements, and technology transactions. He has conducted patent invalidity and infringement analyses in IP litigation and has handled post-grant inter partes review proceedings. His broad experience enables him to advise clients in the wider context of their business needs and objectives.

Chris is creative, thorough, passionate about patents, and excited to learn about new technologies. In advising clients, he carefully considers each innovation and what the client seeks to accomplish. Then he strategizes with them on how to get the most from a limited budget.

Before becoming a lawyer, Chris was a mechanical design engineer supervisor at an aerospace company. After law school, he worked as in-house counsel at a company that designed and built computer systems for the automotive aftermarket industry. He brings his vast experience and insider’s perspective to bear in offering clients business-focused advice to help them succeed.

Among the pro bono efforts, Chris is a volunteer with Texas Accountants & Lawyers for the Arts, which helps financially under-resourced, independent inventors in Texas get help in filing patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

When he can find the time, Chris enjoys visiting the national parks and hiking with his family.

Pro bono

TALA (Texas Accountants & Lawyers for the Arts)