Christopher Thomas

Practice Areas

Intellectual Property Litigation

Intellectual Property

Litigation

Retail Automotive Dealers

Career

Chris Thomas concentrates his practice on intellectual property rights and disputes concerning them. He is a North Carolina State Bar board-certified specialist in trademark law who was awarded "Lawyer of the Year" in Raleigh for copyright law in 2019; for trademark law in 2022, 2024, and 2026; and for intellectual property litigation in 2025 by The Best Lawyers in America®.

Chris represents clients in federal and state courts and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He counsels clients on trademark adoption, search and clearance, prosecution, opposition, maintenance, enforcement, and licensing. He also assists clients with copyright registration, licensing, and transfers.

World Trademark Review, which included Chris in its 2020-2025 editions of WTR™ 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, quotes clients who describe Chris as an attorney who "resolves complex matters in the most responsive, pragmatic, efficient and creative way. He is a brilliant litigator with outstanding communication skills and a resolutely customer-focused approach."

Chris is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Federal Circuit.

Chris chairs the NC Bar Association’s Copyright Committee and is a member of the International Trademark Association's Data Protection Committee.

Prior to law school, Chris worked in information technology for a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.

Education