Chris represents clients in all aspects of intellectual property law with a primary focus on U.S. and international patent procurement and analysis. He has extensive experience in matters related to software, electronic commerce, telecommunications, health care data and management systems, automotive technologies, material handling technologies, and traditional electrical and mechanical systems. He also has litigation experience in all areas of intellectual property law including patent, trademark, unfair competition and copyright. Before coming to Shook, Chris was the CEO and managing director of Merchant & Gould, P.C., a 123-year-old IP law firm.

In addition to his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and J.D. degree, Chris is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s General Management Program and a graduate of the National Session of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He also holds a certificate in software engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Patent Portfolio Development, Analysis and Licensing 

Chris has years of experience in the development and utilization of patent portfolios for an array of businesses from startup operations to large multinational corporations. In addition to the development of patent assets that meet the strategic needs of clients, he engages in complex infringement and validity analysis of patents (client-owned and competitor-owned) to help clients operate smoothly in highly competitive business landscapes both domestically and abroad.

Military Service

Preceding his legal career, Chris served as an officer in the United States Air Force where he worked with the ground-launched cruise missile weapon system. A highlight of his military service was his selection to lead Soviet weapons inspectors through detailed inspections of U.S. nuclear weapons systems in accordance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the former Soviet Union.

Media Coverage

Professional Services: Executives in Law Share their Thoughts in 2020, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, December 30, 2020.

How Seven IP Firms Weathered the COVID-19 Pandemic, Law360, December 21, 2020.

Market Focus Minneapolis: What the Past, the Future and the “Minnesota Way” Mean for Law Firms, The Mid-Market Report, Law.com, December 6, 2018.