Chris has more than 10 years’ experience dealing with patents in electronics and mechanical fields, including telecommunications, computer software, e-commerce, power distribution, imaging devices and medical devices and consumables.
His clients range from SMEs to major corporations. As well as his work in patent prosecution, Chris has advised on various litigation matters in the UK and the US. He is also highly experienced at representing clients at Oral Proceedings at the European Patent Office.
Chris speaks Japanese fluently and has significant experience in prosecuting Japanese patent applications and in performing Japanese-language prior art searches, as well as conducting work on behalf of Japanese clients.
Chris holds a first class degree in Physics from Oxford University, from which he was awarded a scholarship. For his third year project, he performed quantum mechanical analyses of collisions of high-energy sub-atomic particles.
Experience
- Significant experience representing clients at Oral Proceedings and in Appeal Proceedings before the EPO
- Litigation support for Unwired Planet in Unwired Planet vs. Apple (Northern District of California) and Unwired Planet vs. Google (District of Nevada).
- Advising SMEs in relation to patent portfolio development strategies.
- Providing advice in relation to patent infringement and validity issues.
Recent work
- Successful in appeal proceedings at the EPO concerning a refusal to grant a patent for a method of forming contacts on a semi-conductor substrate, arguing against a negative opinion on inventive step.
- Acting for Good Technology, Inc. as part of multinational patent litigation in the field of mobile device management.
- Continuing to develop patent portfolio for Rakuten, Inc in relation to various e-commerce-related technologies.
Education and qualifications
- UK Chartered Patent Attorney
- European Patent Attorney
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1994 — 1997
BA (Oxon) Physics, First Class, Christ Church, Oxford University -
2000
Japanese Proficiency Test Level 1
Career history
- 2006 — present
Partner, EIP - 2002 — 2005
Technical Translator and Interpreter (Japanese and English), Nissin Showa UK Ltd - 1999 — 2001
English Teacher, Rugby Ball English Conversation - 1997 — 1999
Assistant Language Teacher, Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program, Nakanokuchi-mura, Japan
Languages spoken
- Japanese (Fluent)
Speaking engagements
- November 2015
KTK (Tokyo), Amendments under the EPC and drafting strategies in view of same - October 2015
KTK (Osaka), Amendments under the EPC and drafting strategies in view of same - 11 July 2014
Japanese Patent Attorney Association Seminar, PCT specification drafting - October 2013
ESTnet, Patents, Patenting and Patent Box Seminar (link) - July 2013
KTK (Osaka) Seminar, Smoothing prosecution before the EPO - March 2013
EIP Seminar, How to get the most value from your IP - October 2012
Cardiff Medicentre Breakfast Briefing, Managing Intellectual Property from Start-up to Exit