Christopher TL Douglas

Strategic Counseling, Patent Preparation and Patent Prosecution

• Strategic counsel and portfolio manager for a global developer of machine learning systems and data analytics platforms.
• Key advisor to various client patent committees on issues related to patent preparation and prosecution, including strategic considerations in the constantly evolving area of software patent eligibility.
• Patent counsel in acquisitions, transactions and patent preparation/prosecution for the world leader in natural language generation.
• Prepared and prosecuted patent applications related to signaling at various communications layers, radio communications protocols, carrier aggregation, voice and facial recognition, intelligent transportation systems and user interface systems in the United States and abroad. 
• Developed a comprehensive intellectual property strategy for early-stage companies with technology relating to brand monitoring, digital pen solutions, fraud monitoring and identity verification.
• Drafted and prosecuted patent applications related to telecommunications and computer-based technologies, with an emphasis on virtual infrastructure, Internet architecture, cloud computing, mobile signaling, machine learning, image processing, search technologies, satellite and broadcast television, mobile applications, wireless technologies and natural language processing.

Representative USPTO Post-Grant Proceedings

• Obtained confirmation of all claims in a final written decision for a patent owner in an inter partes review concerning bar code reading technology.
• Counsel for a Fortune 100 company in multiple inter partes review proceedings relating to in-home automation, location awareness, energy management systems and methods.
• Counsel for a Fortune 100 company in three inter partes review proceedings relating to fluorine chemistry.
• Counsel for a leader in marine electronics in multiple inter partes review proceedings concerning sonar technology.
• Counsel for a leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production and processing to the oil and gas industry in multiple inter partes review proceedings relating to drilling solutions.
• Counsel for a loss prevention security solutions company in multiple inter partes review proceedings concerning security systems.
• Counsel for a smart grid and smart distribution solutions leader in multiple inter partes review proceedings concerning data encryption. 
• Counsel for multiple inter partes and ex parte reexamination proceedings related to global positioning systems, light emitting diodes, motion control systems, middleware and medical devices.

Chris Douglas is active in Alston & Bird’s pre-grant and post-grant patent practice areas. Chris represents both petitioners and patent owners in post-grant proceedings and is recognized as one of the more active post-grant practitioners nationwide. Chris remains one of the few practitioners to tout confirmation of all claims in an inter partes review in a final written decision on behalf of a patent owner. In addition, he maintains a robust pre-grant patent prosecution practice. His familiarity with both pre-grant and post-grant proceedings informs his ability to counsel and secure foreign and domestic patent rights for his clients.

Chris has been named to the North Carolina Rising Stars list every year since 2013 by Super Lawyers magazine; only 2.5% of attorneys under age 40 are selected. He has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America^© since 2018 in Intellectual Property Litigation. He frequently speaks and publishes on patent post-grant proceedings, software patent eligibility and telecommunications-related patent strategies.

Chris served as an officer in both armor and cavalry units in the United States Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bar Admissions

• North Carolina
• Washington
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Education

• Seattle University (J.D., 2006)
• University of Redlands (B.S., 2003)