Patent Infringement Litigation

• Represented one of the largest electronic payment processors in a patent infringement case involving debit card payment technology that resulted in a Federal Circuit decision that confirmed summary judgment in favor of the client and which clarified joint infringement liability.
• Represented a developer of image data compression technology in licensing and litigation which resulted in significant revenue.
• Represented one of the largest semiconductor memory chip manufacturers in a patent infringement case involving DRAM, SRAM and flash memory technology that led to a take-nothing jury verdict in New Jersey.
• Represented a large electrical equipment manufacturer in patent and trade secret litigation involving power transformer technology that resulted in a favorable settlement for less than ten percent of the claimed damages.
• Represented a large electronic payment processor in a patent infringement case involving credit card payment technology that resulted in a favorable settlement for less than ten percent of the claimed damages.
• Represented a polymer lining manufacturer in a patent infringement case involving extruded plastics technology that resulted in a favorable settlement.

Trademark Infringement Litigation

• Represented a software developer and marketer in a trademark infringement and unfair competition case involving misrepresentation by a third party of which company originally developed features of a software package that resulted in a favorable settlement.
• Represented a food manufacturer in a trademark infringement case that resulted in a favorable settlement.
• Represented a pet charity in a trademark infringement appeal, including briefing and presentation of arguments to the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

General Practice Experience

• Prosecuted to issuance patents that were successfully asserted against infringers in the area of data messaging technology to generate significant settlement revenue.
• Prosecutes patents for Fortune 50 companies, start-up companies, leading universities and numerous other clients in the areas of electrical engineering, software, data communications, artificial intelligence, data encryption, block chain and other technologies.
• Represents largest provider of authentication devices and associated services in negotiating agreements with suppliers and licensees and patent/trademark matters.
• Routinely performs due diligence in deals ranging from $1 million to over $1 billion in value.
• Routinely advises clients on intellectual property strategy, sales strategy, marketing strategy and resolving commercial disputes in cost-effective manners to avoid protracted litigation where it is not strategically necessary.

• AV Rating, Martindale-Hubble
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• “Best Lawyers in Dallas,” D Magazine, 2018-2019, 2021
• The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2020-2025

Publications & Speaking Engagements

• Speaker, “Ferritin-based Neural Signaling Mechanism Hypothesis and Evidence,” IEEE Brain Discovery and Neurotechnology Workshop, University of Illinois, Chicago (October 2024)
• Author, “Rethinking Disease: How the Quantum Biology of Ferritin Could Change the Game,” Medium (August 2024)
• Speaker, “A Case for Testing Ferritin-Assisted Deep Brain Stimulation?,” The 1st Conference of Magnetic Technologies and Clinical Applications in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota (August 2023)
• Author, “Comment on Albantakis et al. Computing the Integrated Information of a Quantum Mechanism. Entropy 2023, 25, 449,” MDPI (June 2023)
• Co-author, “Electron Tunneling in Ferritin and Associated Biosystems,” IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Xplore (May 2023)
• Speaker, “Electron tunneling in ferritin and associated biosystems,” Gordon Research Conference, Emerging Methodologies to Investigate Quantum Effects in Biology, Galveston, TX (March 2023)
• Speaker, “The Hard(ware) Problem of (Machine) Consciousness: Why a special purpose processor and associated processing architecture is needed for cognitive process/conscious action selection mechanisms,” Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Workshop on Systems Neuroscience Approach to General Intelligence (SynAGI), Washington, DC (February 2023)
• Speaker, “Quantum collapse associated with electron tunneling in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) tissue,” Hitchhiker’s Advanced Guide to Quantum Collapse Models, Rome Italy (October 2022)
• Speaker, “Modeling Action Selection in Large Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta Neurons,” Models of Consciousness 3 Conference, Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science, Stanford University (September 2022)
• Author, “Application of the Catecholaminergic Neuron Electron Transport (CNET) Physical Substrate for Consciousness and Action Selection to Integrated Information Theory,” MDPI (January 2022)
• Co-author, “Indication of Strongly Correlated Electron Transport and Mott Insulator in Disordered Multilayer Ferritin Structures (DMFS),” MDPI (August 2021)
• Author, “Scientists discover quantum mechanical switching in ferritin structures similar to those found in neural tissue,” Science X (August 2021)
• Author, “Smart Policing: Is It a Human Rights Violation,” Lawyer Monthly (March 2021)
• Speaker, Quantum Science Concepts in Enhancing Sensing and Imaging Technologies: Applications for Biology—A Workshop, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (March 2021)
• Author, “Chapter Three – Functional neural electron transport” Advances in Quantum Chemistry: Quantum Boundaries of Life (Vol. 82), Academic Press (October 2020)
• Author, “Can we realistically create laws on artificial intelligence?,” Open Access Government (February 2020)
• Author, “ABA Resolution: Caution with AI Use in Legal Practice,” Dallas Bar Association Headnotes (January 2020)
• Author, “‘Romag v. Fossil’: License Provisions for Avoiding a Trip to the Supreme Court,” Texas Lawyer (January 2020)
• Speaker, “Indication of quantum mechanical electron transport in substantia nigra tissue from conductive atomic force microscopy tests,” Workshop on Quantum Effects in Biological Systems, Puebla, Mexico (October 2019)
• Author, “Intellectual Property Financing Unveiled,” Asia IP (October 2019)
• Speaker, “Artificial Intelligence and Legal Ethics,” Dallas Bar Association North Dallas Friday Clinic (July 2019)
• Author, “USPTO Rebukes High Court’s Approach To Abstract Ideas,” Law360 (February 2019)
• Co-Author, “Design Patent Confusion In Fed. Circ. Maatita Ruling,” Law360 (September 2018)
• Author, “Ex Parte Reexamination May Cost Apple $177 Million,” Jackson Walker Insights (June 2018)
• Speaker, “Administrative Law Fundamentals and Strategies for IP Lawyers,” Dallas Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section (October 2017)
• Author, “The Top 10 Things You Wanted to Know About False Patent Marking but Were Afraid to Ask,” Jackson Walker Insights (April 2010)

In the News

• “Human-robot presscon at AI summit: What it means to the IP world” Asia IP (August 2023)
• “Intellectual property on the high seas,” Asia IP (May 2023)
• “Patents are for the weak,” Asia IP (November 2022)
• “The Metaverse is Coming: How can Asia’s Developing Jurisdictions Cope with its IP Issues?” Asia IP (March 2022)
• “The unusual suspect,” Asia IP (February 2022)
• “Hong Kong Customs Combats Counterfeiting Activities Involving Goods Bound for the United States,” Asia IP (August 2021)
• “Almost US$300,000 Worth of Counterfeit Auto Parts Seized in the United States,” Asia IP (August 2021)
• “Apple Watch might be banned for sale in the United States due to patent infringement,” Asia IP (July 2021)
• “Ofinno and Honda complete large patent transaction,” Asia IP (July 2021)
• “America seizes almost US$1 million worth of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Louis Vuitton knockoffs,” Asia IP (May 2021)
• “uCloudlink Group announces progress in patent infringement disputes,” Asia IP (May 2021)
• “Nokia and Lenovo Conclude Patent Cross-Licensing Agreement,” Asia IP (April 2021)
• “LG Electronics Sued by American Mobile Software Company for Patent Infringement,” Asia IP (April 2021)
• “Nokia and Samsung Sign Patent Licensing Agreement,” Asia IP (March 2021)
• “American smart home company sues competitor for patent infringement,” Asia IP (March 2021)
• “Taylor Swift sued by theme park over trademark infringement,” Asia IP (March 2021)
• “Samsung sued for alleged Smart Home Patent infringement in America,” Asia IP (February 2021)
• “Care to share? The pros and cons of IP sharing,” Asia IP (November 2020)
• “New U.S.-China agreement: Signed, sealed… and then comes implementation,” Asia IP (March 2020)
• “Patent Subject Matter Eligibility,” Asia IP (September 29, 2017)
• “Before Sue-rise,” Asia IP (July 31, 2017)
• “LESI 2017’s Augmented Reality,” Asia IP (April 18, 2017)
• “A Look at the Five-Year Impact of the America Invents Act,” D CEO (March 2017)
• “Rogue One: A Fake Goods Story,” Asia IP (January 25, 2017)
• “A Look Back at the Top AIA-Related Decisions of 2016,” Law360 (January 6, 2017)

More Client Results

August 15, 2024
Attorney News

‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Features 306 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2025 Edition, Including 9 “Lawyers of the Year” and 75 “Ones to Watch”

The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 306 Jackson Walker attorneys across 81 specialty practice areas in its 2025 edition, including 9 Lawyers of the Year and 75 Ones to Watch. In this year’s guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (75 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (55 attorneys) and the addition of 27 attorneys as Best Lawyers.

July 24, 2024
Mentions

The Latest Rage Called RAG | Asia IP Magazine

Chris Rourk and Greg Lambert were featured in Asia IP Magazine discussing the development and adoption of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), a new natural language processing technique, and its intellectual property and data privacy challenges.

October 26, 2023
Attorney News

Chris Rourk Appointed to External Advisory Board of University of Florida Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

The University of Florida Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering has appointed Chris Rourk (B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1985) to serve on the External Advisory Board. In his role on the board, Chris will help provide feedback on ECE Florida’s program, direction, and future.

August 29, 2023
Mentions

Intellectual Property on the High Seas | Asia IP Magazine

With the maritime industry seeing a wave of innovation activities in the United States, Asia IP Magazine featured insight from Jackson Walker attorneys Will Borchers and Chris Rourk as they discussed intellectual property and international trade issues related to maritime technology.

August 17, 2023
Attorney News

‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 287 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2024 Edition, Including 12 “Lawyers of the Year” and 80 “Ones to Watch”

The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 287 Jackson Walker attorneys across 5 offices and 82 specialty practice areas in its 2024 edition, including 12 Lawyers of the Year and 80 Ones to Watch. In this year’s guide, Jackson Walker saw the largest number of attorneys in the areas of Commercial Litigation (66 attorneys) and Real Estate Law (60 attorneys) and the addition of 35 attorneys as Best Lawyers.

August 15, 2023
Mentions

Human-Robot Presscon at AI Summit: What It Means to the IP World | Asia IP Magazine

Chris Rourk was featured in Asia IP Magazine discussing the robotics capabilities on display at the UN-organized “AI for Good” summit. In the article, Chris noted: “The functions did not showcase any particular capabilities that robotics adds to AI that might support UN SDGs, which include ‘no poverty’ and ‘gender equality.’ As such, if the purpose of the press conference was to showcase how the combination of robotics and AI could support the goals, there was nothing shown of any relevance.”

January 19, 2023
Mentions

Patents Are for the Weak? | Asia IP Magazine

For Jackson Walker partner Christopher Rourk, patents are, to a certain extent, for the weak. The reason for this is that small firms and individual inventors are inherently weaker than companies that are larger and better-positioned capital-wise.

“Small companies and individual inventors can develop important innovations that can be easily copied by larger, well-capitalized companies and should rely on patents to increase their leverage in the highly-competitive commercial marketplace,” he noted.

August 18, 2022
Attorney News

‘The Best Lawyers in America’ Honors 214 Jackson Walker Attorneys in 2023 Edition, Including 11 “Lawyers of the Year” and 41 “Ones to Watch”

The Best Lawyers in America has recognized 214 Jackson Walker attorneys across 6 offices and 79 specialty practice areas in its 2023 edition, including 11 Lawyers of the Year and 41 Ones to Watch. Best Lawyers listings are based on an exhaustive peer review survey of thousands of attorneys who vote on the legal abilities of others in their practice areas.

July 7, 2022
Newsletters

JW Media | VIA ePostcard – July 2022

View the July 2022 edition of the JW Media | VIA ePostcard.

March 31, 2022
Mentions

The Metaverse Is Coming: How Can Asia’s Developing Jurisdictions Cope With Its IP Issues? | Asia IP

Chris Rourk shared insights with Asia IP Magazine about the metaverse and the implications for the intellectual property sector.

More Attorney News

Chris was the lead briefing attorney for the appellant in In re Magnum Oil Tools International, 829 F.3d 1364 (Fed. Cir. 2016), one of the first cases to result in a full reversal of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board from a decision in an inter partes review, and which has been cited in subsequent court decisions over 600 times. The Federal Circuit agreed with Chris’ argument that it was improper to shift the burden of proof to the patent owner to prove the validity of the challenged patent.

Chris has handled a number of high-profile patent litigation matters, including filing the lawsuit that resulted in the Federal Circuit decision in BMC v. Paymentech, 498 F.3d 1373 (Fed. Cir. 2007), which provided controlling precedent on the question of joint infringement of patent claims and which has been cited in subsequent court decisions over 300 times. His patent prosecution work has also been cited as exemplary by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has withstood attack in district court litigation and post-grant challenges.