Christopher J Forstner

Chris is an intellectual property strategist. He leverages his experience in all aspects of IP law (litigation, prosecution, counseling, and transactions) with a proven in-house counsel background to deliver on clients’ key business objectives.

Chris counsels clients across a variety of industries on all aspects of intellectual property law with an emphasis on IP litigation, prosecution, counseling, transactions, risk management, and diligence activities. As a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Chris advises and guides his clients on the development and successful execution of their IP portfolio strategy. Clients rely on Chris for assistance with patent prosecution activities, defense of interests in patent and intellectual property litigation including significant pre-litigation disputes, and IP transactions and risk-related analyses, including preparing patent opinions on novelty, validity, and infringement; drafting patent and technology agreements for licensing, non-disclosure, and joint development; counseling clients on the protection of trade secrets; and leading intellectual property due diligence efforts.

Chris brings a unique perspective to client service as he previously served as assistant general counsel and chief intellectual property counsel for Capital One, where he managed the company’s intellectual property litigation, as well as the worldwide patent and trademark portfolios, restrictive covenants program, confidential and trade secret information protections, and competitive intelligence.

Chris also has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to eDiscovery, including the preservation, collection, processing, review, and production of electronically stored information, as well as pre-litigation planning and records management strategies. In addition to his counseling experience, Chris has successfully managed several large-scale document reviews for litigation and regulatory investigations.

Virginia State Bar, Intellectual Property Law Section, Board of Governors, 2009 to present, chair, 2015

US-EPO Bar Liaison Council, member, 2006 to present

Greater Richmond Intellectual Property Law Association, president 2006-07, Board/Officer 2003-06