Christopher D. Bright, Partner at our Orange County, and San Diego law offices
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Christopher D. Bright

Partner
Biography

Christopher Bright has about 25 years of experience litigating patent cases for clients across the United States, as well as providing counseling for global patent licensing negotiations and patent due diligence for mergers and acquisitions. Drawing upon his deep scientific experience, degree in physics, and talent for simplifying complex concepts, he has skillfully tried numerous patent cases in U.S. federal district courts and before the International Trade Commission (ITC). Christopher has extensive experience positioning cases for trial, including crafting patent claim construction, and representing clients at summary judgment hearings.

Christopher also frequently appears before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in inter partes reviews (IPRs) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, where he has argued as lead counsel. Applying his knowledge in IPR, litigation, and trial and appellate work, he also advises on U.S. patents, including global patent licensing negotiations. Christopher’s industry knowledge includes many years of litigating and negotiating licenses for alleged standard-essential patents (SEPs) on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. His patent knowledge and experience also extends to the corporate area, where he evaluates patent litigation and other patent due diligence issues arising from mergers and acquisitions as well as other corporate matters. Christopher has been recognized by Legal 500 for his deep experience in patent litigation, with clients noting that he is “very detailed in his analysis and work product; [with a] deep understanding of the litigation process.”

Christopher has experience across a variety of sectors and industries, with a particular focus on the electronics, life sciences, and technology sectors. He has litigated and counseled on a broad array of patents in the areas of automotive and mobility products, computers and computer networks, consumer electronics, mechanical devices, medical devices, semiconductors and integrated circuits, and software, including patented technologies concerning cloud computing, Internet of Things, LTE, secure data storage, streaming video and audio, USB, WiFi, smart devices, bioprosthetic heart valves, image-guided surgical navigation, needleless medical connectors, ultrasound medical imaging, light emitting diodes (LEDs), semiconductor processing, AI and Big Data driven internet marketing software, antivirus software, cloud computing software, eCommerce software, educational software, emergency notification software, location-based services software, product lifecycle management software, and SaaS, among many others.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • California
  • District of Columbia
  • United States Patent and Trademark Office


Court Admissions

  • United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • United States District Court, All Districts of California
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Western District of Texas


Education

  • The George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors)
  • University of California, San Diego (B.S., Physics)
Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • IAM Patent 1000 (2022, 2023)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Intellectual Property Litigation (2022-2025), Intellectual Property Law (2020)
  • Recommended, Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation (Full Coverage), The Legal 500 US (2019, 2020)
  • Recommended, Intellectual Property: Patents: Licensing, The Legal 500 US (2019)
  • Recognized for contributions to the Pro Bono Program of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California (2011, 2017)

Representative Experience

  • Litigation and trial counsel for respondent, a multinational conglomerate company, in an ITC investigation directed to LED packages and products containing those packages
  • Lead counsel for a consumer electronics company patent owner in a dispute regarding whether to institute IPR in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  • Lead counsel arguing for an intervenor, a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer and its North American subsidiary, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in relation to an ITC determination
  • Trial counsel for respondent, a major Japanese multinational electronics company, in an ITC investigation, including examinations of complainants’ and respondents’ technical experts
  • Lead counsel for petitioner, a leading manufacturer of automatic pool cleaners and swimming pool accessories, in an IPR, including argument at final hearing before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
  • Lead counsel arguing for defendant, a for-profit online college in patent claim construction hearing and summary judgment briefing
  • Trial counsel for respondent, a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer and its North American subsidiary, in an ITC investigation, including examinations of complainants’ and respondents’ technical experts
  • Jury trial counsel for defendant, an American web services provider, including examinations of the plaintiff’s and defendant’s damages experts
  • Jury trial counsel for plaintiff, a California-based cloud-driven networking solutions company, in a three-patent case, including examinations of the only technical expert and the named inventor
  • Jury trial counsel for plaintiff, a leading educational technology company, including examinations of plaintiff’s technical expert witness and cross-examinations of defendant’s technical fact witnesses
  • Prepared arbitration briefing for a medical device manufacturer on a patent asserted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
  • Lead counsel at final hearing argument regarding an interference in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Previous Professional Experience

  • Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Equity Partner (2018-2021)
  • McDermott Will & Emery LLP (1999-2018)
    • Capital Partner (2011-2018)
    • Income Partner (2005-2010)
    • Associate (1999-2004)

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • The Howard T. Markey Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, Orange County
    • Board Member (2020-2021)
    • Barrister Member (2018-2021)
  • Federal Bar Association
    • Orange County Chapter
      • Board Member (2024)

Community Involvement

  • Public Law Center of Orange County, Pro bono case assignments
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Pro bono civil rights case assignments

Representative Presentations and Publications