Concentration

Patent prosecution, patent litigation, and intellectual property licensing

Summary

Christa Sanford has a varied intellectual property practice with a focus on patent procurement, patent litigation, and technology licensing, particularly involving telecommunications, electronics, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Ms. Sanford has assisted companies in developing their patent portfolios and generating revenue from their intellectual property assets through licensing campaigns. She has led licensing efforts for companies, while still providing counsel and advice on patent procurement and litigation exposure.

Actively involved in the community, Ms. Sanford serves as a member of the Junior League of Dallas and on the Board of the Dallas Children’s Theater. She has also counseled pro bono clients on copyright registration and copyright infringement matters. Ms. Sanford also serves as a teaching assistant for patent licensing and enforcement courses at the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. 

Representative Engagements

• National banking institution - development and management of a worldwide patent portfolio
• Multinational telecommunications equipment provider - counsel in license negotiations involving standards based technology and patent pools
• Surveillance equipment company - drafted and prosecuted patent application submitted through Accelerated Examination program at the Patent and Trademark Office. Secured issued patent seven months from the filing date of the application.
• Multinational telecommunications equipment provider - counsel in inter partes reexamination involving asserted patents in patent litigation
• Creditor in bankruptcy proceeding – counsel in license negotiations involving creditor as a third-party beneficiary to the license agreement Creditor in bankruptcy proceeding – counsel in license negotiations involving creditor as a third-party beneficiary to the license agreement
• Creditor in bankruptcy proceeding – counsel in license negotiations involving creditor as a third-party beneficiary to the license agreement
• Large industrial equipment company – counsel in license negotiations involving patented technology leading to realizable revenue from intellectual property assets
• Multinational wireless service provider – defense of multiple patent infringement cases involving wireless communications.  In the resolved matter, secured summary judgment of non-infringement before trial and secured unenforceability determination of the asserted patent in a subsequent bench trial.
• Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – defense of a patent infringement case involving Internet routing and wireless communication resulting in a favorable settlement for the client
• Educational software company – patent infringement suit against a competitor resulting in a favorable settlement for the client
• Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – defensive patent studies regarding the applicability of third-party patents to products of the client
• Multinational software company – analysis and categorization of its intellectual property portfolio
• Telecommunications equipment company – drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to Voice over IP, wireless communication, and telecommunication technologies
• International optical networking company – drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to optical networking and optical networking components

Publications, Speeches and Presentations

Publications

• “SanDisk v. STMicroelectronics Expands Jurisdiction for Declaratory Judgment Actions,” Baker Botts IP Report, August 2007
• “Centricut, LLC v. ESAB Group, Inc.: The Federal Circuit Requires Expert Testimony in Some Complex Patent Infringement Cases,” Baker Botts IP Report, March 2004
• “The Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals Holds That the Warsaw Convention Does Not Apply to an Entity Acting as an Agent to More Than One Principal: Dazo v. Globe Airport Security Services,” Journal of Air Law & Commerce, Summer 2003

Speeches and Presentations

• “Patent Review Procedures: Present to Future,” Baker Botts Client CLE, North Carolina, October 2011
• “Introduction to Intellectual Property,” Texas Wesleyan School of Law Intellectual Property Society, Fort Worth, Spring 2009
• “Recent Developments in Patent Law,” Dedman School of Law Intellectual Property Organization, Dallas, Spring 2008