People

Christa Sanford
Christa Brown-Sanford
Partner | Department Chair - Intellectual Property (Firmwide)

Overview

Clients facing novel and high-stakes challenges turn to Christa Brown-Sanford. As legal matters become increasingly complex and emotionally-charged, she delivers leverage. Her innovative legal solutions and cool composure enable her to quarterback multi-disciplinary teams and advise in-house counsel, C-level executives, and boards through even the most challenging of circumstances. Moreover, with an electrical engineering background and keen business sense, Christa communicates in a clear and digestible manner across every segment of her client's business, and with anyone impacting their legal success, from client stakeholders and opposing counsel to investors and patent examiners.

In addition to leading client teams, Christa holds leadership roles within the firm where she serves as the Chair of the Intellectual Property Department and on the firm's Executive Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

As someone committed to being a true partner at every stage of the process. Christa provides guidance on patent procurement, patent portfolio development, patent litigation, and patent licensing - particularly involving telecommunications, blockchain, electronics, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, software, personal mobility, and other cutting-edge technologies. Clients appreciate that "Christa and the squad are responsive, thoughtful, knowledgeable and easy to work with. They dig into cases to achieve positive resolutions and cognisant of deadlines." - IAM 1000 2023.

A recognized speaker on Intellectual Property issues and leadership topics, Christa serves as an adjunct professor at SMU's Dedman School of Law where she teaches patent licensing and enforcement, in addition to patent prosecution courses. She has been featured in countless publications including Best Lawyers and Dallas CEO for the impact she has had in the legal industry and Dallas community. Christa also serves on the planning committees for the UT Advanced Patent Law Institute and the Center for American and International Law's Conference on Intellectual Property Law.

Actively involved in the community, Christa is a member of the Charter 100 and the Crystal Charity Ball Committee, serves on the advisory board for the State Fair of Texas, and serves on the boards of Southern Methodist University, SMU's Dedman School of Law, Rice University George R. Brown School of Engineering, the Baylor Scott & White Foundation, and New Friends New Life (an organization focused on empowering trafficked women and girls). She also served as the President for the Junior League of Dallas, during the League's Centennial year.

Admission & Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas
  • United States Patent and Trademark Office
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • J.L. Turner Legal Association
  • The Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn American Inn of Court, Associate, 2011-2013; Barrister, 2013-2016, 2017-2020
  • Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Fellow, 2013
  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Counsel with Kids Committee Co-Chair, 2012-2013
  • The Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court, Associate, 2006-2007
  • J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law 2004
    cum laude
    Order of the Coif
    Articles Editor, SMU Law Review Association
    Hutchinson Scholarship Recipient
  • B.S., Electrical Engineering, Rice University 2001
    President's Honor Roll

Experience

  • Global telecommunications company – lead negotiator and drafter on patent divestment agreement involving standards-based patents
  • Telecommunications company – lead negotiator and drafter on global cross license agreement involving standards-based technologies
  • Global aerospace company – strategic development of patent portfolio and managing patent drafting team of ten attorneys and patent agents
  • Multinational automotive company – litigation and settlement counsel on patent litigation matter involving entertainment systems in automobiles
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment company – lead negotiator and drafter of patent portfolio license with a large patent holding entity involving cellular and memory technologies
  • National energy provider – defense of multiple patent lawsuit involving mercury removal from gas streams and lead negotiator and drafter of settlement and license agreement
  • Multinational automotive company – lead IP counsel in joint development agreement work involving development of standards essential technology related to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and fueling infrastructure
  • National financial institution – defense of multiple patent lawsuit in the Western District of Texas involving remote deposit technology
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment company – drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to wireless technologies, personal mobility, collaboration, communications equipment and devices, cloud computing, and big data; managing several patent review committees to develop the strategic direction of the company's patent portfolio
  • Multinational cloud security company – analysis of existing patent portfolio related to communication techniques and data management and strategic development of the portfolio in various technological areas, including security
  • National energy provider – negotiating and drafting technology transaction agreements for joint development and collaboration efforts
  • Worldwide networking company – assessing and managing third party assertions and related internal investigations; counsel in various aspects of IP and business strategy
  • Aviation and defense contractor – analysis of technology area and development of patent filing strategy for the business
  • National retail energy provider – development and execution of patent filing strategy and management of the patent portfolio related to energy management solutions
  • National financial institution – development of patent licensing strategy and lead counsel in patent license negotiations
  • Start-up healthcare technology provider – development and implementation of patent filing strategy
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – defense counsel in a patent infringement case involving power conversion technology
  • National banking institution – development and management of a worldwide patent portfolio
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – counsel in license negotiations involving standards-based technology and patent pools
  • Multinational wireless service provider – defense of multiple patent infringement cases involving wireless communications. In one of the matters, secured summary judgment of non-infringement before trial and secured unenforceability determination of the asserted patent in a subsequent bench trial. In another one of the matters, secured a stipulation of non-infringement based on the claim construction. On appeal of this matter to the Federal Circuit, secured a summary affirmance of the district court's dismissal.
  • Surveillance equipment company – drafted and prosecuted patent application submitted through Accelerated Examination program at the Patent and Trademark Office. Secured issued patent seven months from the filing date of the application.
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – counsel in inter partes reexamination involving asserted patents in patent litigation, which resulted in a final rejection of all claims
  • Creditor in bankruptcy proceeding – counsel in license negotiations involving creditor as a third-party beneficiary to the license agreement
  • Large industrial equipment company – counsel in license negotiations involving patented technology leading to realizable revenue from intellectual property assets
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – defense of a patent infringement case involving Internet routing and wireless communication resulting in a settlement for the client
  • Educational software company – patent infringement suit against a competitor resulting in a settlement for the client
  • Multinational telecommunications equipment provider – defensive patent studies regarding the applicability of third-party patents to products of the client
  • Multinational software company – analysis and categorization of its intellectual property portfolio
  • International optical networking company – drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to optical networking and optical networking components

Awards and Community

Clients describe Christa as having " tremendous legal and technical expertise. She is a very calm and deliberate thinker, as well as highly responsive and efficient."

Chambers USA 2023

Recognized in Chambers USA for Intellectual Property, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Recognized by IAM 1000 for Patent Prosecution and Transactions, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Recognized by Forbes in its inaugural list of America’s Top 200 Lawyers, 2024

Recognized by Legal 500 US as a Leading Lawyer in Patent Licensing and Patent Prosecution, 2024

Named one of the "Best Lawyers" in Dallas by D Magazine, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Recognized in the "Dallas 500" by D CEO as one of Dallas’ top business leaders, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Litigation-Intellectual Property, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Recognized as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in Technology" by the National Diversity Council, 2020

Recognized by Texas Minority Counsel Program as a finalist for Trailblazer of the Year, 2020, 2022

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Recognized as a "Next Generation Lawyer" by The Legal 500 U.S., 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020

Recognized by IAM 1000 for Patent Transactions, 2019

Recognized by Texas Lawyer as a Texas Trailblazer, 2019

Recognized by SMU Dedman School of Law as a Distinguished Alumni-Emerging Leader Award, 2019

Recognized as a "Most Influential Black Lawyer" by Savoy Magazine, 2018

Recognized as a "Top Woman Lawyer" by the Texas Diversity Council, 2018

Recognized as a "Minority Business Leader" by the Dallas Business Journal, 2018

Recognized in the Dallas Business Journal's list of "40 under 40," 2016

"Young Leader Award" presented by the Dallas Women's Foundation, 2015

Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer-Rising Star (Thomson Reuters), 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018

Recognized as an "Up-And-Coming 100" and "Up-And-Coming 50 Women" by Texas Super Lawyer-Rising Star (Thomson Reuters), 2018

Serves on the Boards for Southern Methodist University, SMU's Dedman School of Law, Baylor Scott & White Foundation, Rice University's School of Engineering, and New Friends New Life

Member of the Junior League of Dallas, having served as President 2021-2022, Development Vice President 2016-2017, and Membership Vice President 2013-2014

Counseled pro bono clients on trademark registration, copyright registration, and copyright infringement matters