Christa Brown-Sanford

Practice Areas

Patent licensing, patent portfolio development and counseling, patent litigation

Career

Clients facing novel and high-stakes challenges turn to Christa Brown-Sanford. As legal matters become increasingly complex and emotionally-charged, she delivers leverage. Her innovative legal solutions and cool composure enable her to quarterback multi-disciplinary teams and advise in-house counsel, C-level executives, and boards through even the most challenging of circumstances. Moreover, with an electrical engineering background and keen business sense, Christa communicates in a clear and digestible manner across every segment of her client's business, and with anyone impacting their legal success, from client stakeholders and opposing counsel to investors and patent examiners.

In addition to leading client teams, Christa holds leadership roles within the firm where she serves as the Chair of the Intellectual Property Department and on the firm's Executive Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

As someone committed to being a true partner at every stage of the process. Christa provides guidance on patent procurement, patent portfolio development, patent litigation, and patent licensing - particularly involving telecommunications, blockchain, electronics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, software, personal mobility, and other cutting-edge technologies. Clients appreciate that "Christa and the squad are responsive, thoughtful, knowledgeable and easy to work with. They dig into cases to achieve positive resolutions and cognisant of deadlines." - IAM 1000 2023.

A recognized speaker on Intellectual Property issues and leadership topics, Christa serves as an adjunct professor at SMU's Dedman School of Law where she teaches patent licensing and enforcement, in addition to patent prosecution courses. She also serves on the planning committees for the UT Advanced Patent Law Institute and the Center for American and International Law's Conference on Intellectual Property Law.

Professional Memberships

State Bar of Texas, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, The Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (Fellow)

Publications

IP/Antitrust Policy Changes are Afoot in the Biden Administration’s SOJ, October 2021; Black Lawyer Speaks: Stories of the Past, Hopes for the Future, Ep. 4, Bloomberg Law Podcast, January 2021; UK Supreme Court delivers landmark ruling on SEPs and FRAND licensing, September 2020; Willing to License? Guidance from Germany on the interaction between SEP Licensing Negotiations and EU Competition Law in Sisvel v. Haier, July 2020

Personal

JD, SMU Dedman School of Law (Order of the Coif, cum laude); BS in Electrical Engineering, Rice University; Adjunct Professor, SMU Dedman School of Law; Board of Directors Trustees, SMU; Board of Directors, Executive Board, SMU Dedman School of Law; Advisory Board, Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering; Advisory Board, Baylor Scott & White Foundation; Advisory Board, State Fair of Texas; 2021-2022 President, Junior League of Dallas