Ms Christa Brown-Sanford > Baker Botts L.L.P. > Dallas, United States > Lawyer Profile

Baker Botts L.L.P.‘s ‘solid’ team is led by New York-based intellectual specialist Robert Scheinfeld and patent prosecution expert Sandra Lee , in addition to IP specialist Christa Brown-Sanford and experienced patent prosecution attorney Samir Bhavsar , both of whom work out of the Dallas office. The cohort has a strong reputation for its ability to develop and manage significant patent portfolios for notable clients across a range of industry sectors, namely education, technology and telecommunications, including Colombia University and Mastercard. A key example of such work is its current representation of Ericsson in the development and management of an international patent portfolio, directed to a wide range of technologies. The team is one of the most active in the US in terms of representing its clients at post-grant and inter-partes reviews filed at the PTAB, an example being its defense of the validity of Qualcomm’s patents in an action raised by Apple, with Palo Alto-based Eliot Williams particularly adept in this area. Additionally, Dallas’ Chad Walters, co-chair of the firm-wide PTAB trials group, is a key name for related litigation in the space.

The intellectual property team at Baker Botts L.L.P. has expertise spanning all industries, with in-depth knowledge of litigation strategy and the full range of IP issues. While acting for clients across a range of industries, the expertise of the team lies primarily in tech, acting for prominent tech companies including Samsung Electronics, Lyft, AT&T, Dell Inc and LG Electronics. Robert Scheinfeld in New York co-chairs the intellectual property department alongside Christa Brown-Sanford in Dallas. Focusing on IP litigation, Douglas Kubehl  in Dallas and Roger Fulghum in Houston lead the firmwide practice. ‘Gifted trial attorney’ Hopkins Guy is another key lawyer in the team, based in the firm’s Palo Alto office.

The intellectual property department at Baker Botts L.L.P. has a strong ITC practice, handling complex matters in front of the Commission. The majority of the attorneys within the team have been active on ITC matters, and possess technical degrees spanning most technological areas. High-profile, high-value, and highly complex work is routinely managed for clients including FUJIFILM Corporation, Dell, Samsung, and Motorola. Washington DC-based Lisa Kattan chairs the ITC practice alongside co-chairs Robert Scheinfeld, based in New York, and Christa Brown-Sanford, operating out of Dallas.

New York-based Robert Scheinfeld and Dallas-based Christa Brown-Sanford lead Baker Botts L.L.P.‘s trade secrets team alongside David Wille, also in Dallas, who is the firm-wide chair of the practice, which has a strong record in representing both plaintiffs and defendants in matters of significant value for such notable clients as MasterCard International Inc., for whom it secured an appellate victory in the New York state court. The team has expertise in high-profile matters of employee mobility, a key example being its victory for Dril-Quip Inc. in its allegations that a former employee misappropriated trade secrets regarding subsea tree systems, a suit with a value of $35m. IP partner Paul Morico, based in Houston, acts on many of the team’s most notable cases, while Washington DC’s Katharine Burke has a strong intellectual property specialism.

Baker Botts L.L.P. handles the full spectrum of licensing matters for multi-party transactions, including patent, copyright and trademark license agreements, alongside technology development, acquisition, distribution and outsourcing agreements. The firm also conducts due diligence investigations relating to M&A. The firm regularly acts for Cisco on patent licensing and strategic portfolio development, and also represents Toyota in the development of their hydrogen fuel cell technology for heavy-duty vehicles. Christa Brown-Sanford, who is active in the firm’s Dallas office, has experience of patent licensing in relation to telecommunications, electronics and other technologies, working with notable clients such as Toyota and Cisco. Washington DC’s Luke Pedersen strengthens the team with his expertise in technology-related matters, particularly including technology transfers, licensing and patent portfolio management, as well as emerging technologies. Highly experienced patent trial attorney Robert Scheinfeld, who is based in New York, also co-heads the team.