Christopher Smits - Special Counsel - IP Matters

Chris is special counsel to WLL, specialising in contentious IP matters. He has handled a wide range of IP matters that required coordination of parallel civil proceedings in multiple jurisdictions. He has advised across a range of industries concerning technical subject matter from mechanical devices, to pharmaceuticals and telecoms technology, and has experience in dealing with cross-border litigation in Europe, North America and China. Further, he prosecutes trademarks in both the US, UK and EU.

Chris has been based in the US, Beijing and London where he worked for U.S., UK, and Domestic Chinese private practice law firms taking instructions from well-known multinational corporations.

Prior to becoming a U.S. Attorney Chris spent many years working with major U.S., European, and Japanese automotive companies as an acoustic and thermodynamics engineer.

Education:

• Post-Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law, Oxford University
• J.D., University of Detroit Mercy School of Law
• Master of Science, Oakland University
• Bachelor of Science, Oakland University

Representative Cases and Clients:

• Samsung in: Unwired Planet v Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd & ors
• Google in: Unwired Planet v Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd & ors
• IPCom in: IPCom v Nokia (1^st instance and Appeal)
• IPCom in: IPCom v HTC (1^st instance)
• Volvo – Patent Enforcement
• TRW Automotive – Patent Enforcement
• Danaher – Patent infringement matters;
• Nokia Corporation – Design patent litigation;
• NEC – Trademark infringement actions;
• Guthy-Renker – Arbitration proceedings at CIETAC (China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission) in a commercial contract dispute;
• Rubbermaid – Design and trade mark infringement actions;
• Broadcom – Regulatory advisory role regarding the import/export of technology products;
• Schindler – Trade mark and trade secrets matters.

Past Employment:

• Bristows LLP; London (2011 – 2015) – UK Solicitor and US Patent Attorney
• Taylor Wessing LLP; London (2011) – US Patent Attorney
• Fangda Partners; Beijing (2007 – 2010) – US Patent Attorney
• Garvey Schubert Barer LLP; Beijing (2005 -2006) – US Patent Attorney
• SMI Ltd.; Shanghai (2004 – 2005) – Director of Operations
• CTA Acoustics; US (1996 – 2004) – Senior Project Manager and Acoustics and Thermodynamics Engineer

Foreign Language Skills:

Conversational Mandarin Chinese Speaking & Comprehension; Basic Mandarin Chinese Reading and Writing