Christopher J. Tyson practices in the area of intellectual property law, including analysis, acquisition, enforcement and defense. Mr. Tyson has experience with complex intellectual property litigation in federal courts from pre-filing stages through discovery, summary judgment, and trial. Mr. Tyson has worked on a variety of intellectual property litigation matters, including matters related to patent, copyright, and trademark infringement. He provides technical and legal analysis, works with experts, manages discovery, takes and defends depositions, and prepares and argues motions, and manages the day-to-day efforts of trial teams. He has supported cases in the Eastern District of Virginia, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, District of Delaware, Western and Eastern Districts of Michigan, District of Utah, District of Massachusetts, District of New Jersey, District of Columbia, Central and Northern Districts of California, District of Kansas, Northern District of Illinois, and U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He has prepared non-infringement and invalidity opinions and assisted in defensive proceedings, including declaratory judgment actions in federal court. He is a member of the firm’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board practice group and has been lead or backup counsel of record in multiple post-grant proceedings before the Board, from drafting the initial petitions through arguing in final Trial Hearings.
Mr. Tyson prosecutes patent and trademark applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is a registered patent attorney, focusing in the mechanical and electrical arts. He assists clients in the acquisition of U.S. and foreign patent rights in diverse technologies such as data communications, encryption, and networking, telecommunications, video conferencing, wireless communications (including WiFi and 3GPP protocols and infrastructure), VoIP (including SIP protocols and infrastructure), mobility (including Mobile IP and other tunneling techniques), optical communications (including precoding, modulation techniques, amplifiers, add/drop multiplexing and switching, demodulation, equalization, and interference cancellation), e-commerce, internet of things (IoT), nuclear power and energy, propulsion plant systems, shipboard environmental systems, thin film deposition, semiconductor fabrication and packaging, medical devices, vehicle, and design patents. Mr. Tyson also has experience with due diligence reviews of patents and trademarks, conducting patent and trademark searches, drafting prosecution-related opinions, and the drafting and analyzing of intellectual property licenses and agreements including patent, trademark, software, and know how, licenses and agreements.
Mr. Tyson has experience representing U.S. military veteran clients before the U.S Court of Appeals of Veterans Claims, Board of Veterans Appeals, and the Department of the VA. He also serves as one of two chairs of the Firm's military discharge upgrade practice groups comprised of attorneys representing U.S. military veteran clients before branch-specific Discharge Review Boards and the Board of Correction for Military Records.
Prior to his legal career, Mr. Tyson served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, where he managed the operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants in a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, including electrical power generation and distribution, mechanical and propulsion plant systems, and was qualified as a nuclear engineering officer.
Mr. Tyson is a graduate of George Mason University School of Law. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (B.S., Ocean Engineering) and Old Dominion University (M.S., Engineering Management). He is proficient in Spanish and Italian.
Admissions
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Education
- George Mason University Antonin Scalia School of Law, J.D., 2010
- Old Dominion University, M.S., Engineering Management, 2007
- United States Naval Academy, B.S., 1999
Experience
Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2018-present
- Associate, 2011-2017
- Patent Agent, 2007-2011- U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear), 2000-2007
Professional Activities
- DC Bar Association
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Virginia Bar Association
- Intellectual Property Law Section
- Veterans Legal Assistance Project
- Active Firm Liaison
- Capital Area Veterans Collaborative
Honors and Awards
- Recipient, 11th Annual Duane Morris Pro Bono Award
- Named as The Veterans Consortium's 2nd Quarter 2017 VIP (Volunteer Inspiring Pro Bono)
- Listed in Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers' Rising Stars, 2014-2021
- Recognized by D.C. Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs for Exemplary Achievements, Leadership, and Commitment to the Veteran Community in DC (2016)
Selected Publications
Contributor, Duane Morris PTAB Practice Blog
Author, "The Secret to Being a Happy Lawyer," Opening Statement, Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 3, 12 (Spring 2018)
- Co-author, "California Federal Judge Invalidates Spinal Surgery Patents Due to Lack of Objective Boundaries," Duane Morris Alert, December 1, 2014
- Co-author, "Supreme Court Affirms Heightened Burden of Proof to Invalidate Patents," Duane Morris Alert, June 10, 2011
Selected Speaking Engagements
Co-presenter, “Advanced Veterans Topics: Ethics, Cultural Competency and VA Legal Updates”, November 28, 2018
Presenter, “Emerging Legal Issues and Strategies in Post-Grant Proceedings at PTAB”, Austin IP Inn of Court, October 18, 2018
Co-presenter, “GDPR: Facts vs. Fiction”, CTI Meeting Technology Lunch Forum, October 9, 2018
Panelist, “Pro Bono in Big Law,” Georgetown Law Center, April 3, 2018
- Panelist, "Advocating for Social Justice Through Pro Bono," Washington Council of Lawyers, October 26, 2017
- Panelist, "Social Justice," Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, October 4, 2017
- "Strategy for Motions to Exclude, Motions to Strike and Reply Briefs before PTAB," PTAB Practice Group, September 2017
- "Adverse Judgment and Estoppel", PTAB Practice Group, June 2015
- "Veterans Cultural Competency: Military Veterans in the Workplace", March 2016
- "Impact of Nike v. Adidas Federal Circuit Decision", PTAB Practice Group, March 2016
- "Impact of Dynamic Drinkware v. National Graphics Federal Circuit Decision", PTAB Practice Group, September 2015
- "Potential Pitfalls with 102(e) Post-Grant Challenges," PTAB Practice Group, May 2015