A top patent lawyer needs a lot more than a sharp legal
mind, says Christopher Campbell, and he should know.
His career as an intellectual property attorney has thrived,
in part because he brought more to the job than just
a law degree. He studied mechanical engineering while
an undergraduate at Virginia Tech and then worked as
a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, where he specialized in electronic and hydraulic
controls for automatic transmissions in automobiles.
"The technology is clearly one of the most challenging
aspects to practicing this type of law, especially nowadays,
as it's gotten more complicated and is evolving at such
a rapid rate," he says, "so having that engineering
background has definitely made it much easier for me."
In fact, while growing up in
Bowie, Md., Campbell never had any aspirations to become
a lawyer. After getting his undergraduate degree and
working for a summer as a mechanical engineer, however,
he decided he needed to rethink his future. "I liked engineering, but
I wanted to figure out a way that I could extend my understanding
of it into something else that would better suit me long
term," he says. He quickly determined that patent
law would be an ideal course.
Today Campbell is a partner in
Hunton & Williams'
intellectual property group, and his mix of technical
and legal knowledge and understanding of the patent-granting
process have helped him become one of the leading patent
specialists in the state. A graduate of Catholic University's
law school, Campbell provides patent litigation, as well
as patent counseling and supervision for patent portfolios,
to mostly large companies in the manufacturing, information
technology and consumer products industries. His clients
include Smithfield Foods Inc., Electrolux, Conair and
Teleworks.
He never lacks for work, but
he has been especially busy in recent years litigating
patent infringements in a number of federal courts
around the country, both asserting patents and defending
clients against infringement charges. "Companies are investing a tremendous amount
of money in developing their technology and they want
to protect that technology," Campbell says.
He has been involved in litigating
complex patent infringement cases ranging from cable
television networks and power tools to athletic shoes
and poly bags. "If companies
see somebody infringing on their technology, they're
going to enforce it. I think for the foreseeable future,
this will be a very vigorous area of the law."
In fact, his work involves so many types of products
and technologies that it can occasionally overlap into
his off-hour activities. For example, Campbell pays special
attention to his golf cart when he goes to a golf course.
That's because Campbell recently helped Textron Inc.,
the manufacturer of E-Z-GO golf carts, successfully bring
a patent infringement case against another golf cart
maker.
He is now representing Jacobsen, another Textron company.
Jacobsen, a manufacturer of high-end lawn mowers frequently
used at golf courses and country clubs, has bought a
series of lawsuits against a competitor, alleging several
patent infringements. The first trial is scheduled for
June, while a second is likely to head to court at the
end of next year.
Matt Luxton, senior general counsel
and director of intellectual property law at General
Dynamics, says that while Campbell's engineering background
is one of his strengths, his understanding of the practical
side of patent law is just as advantageous. "Chris has a
very strong business acumen," Luxton says. He calls
on Campbell to handle patent matters involving the firm's
combat vehicles and munitions work, as well as information
systems and technology work.
"He is able to think as much like a business person
as he is a patent attorney, in that he understands that
sometimes the best legal solution isn't necessarily the
best business solution, and that is so valuable in an
outside counsel," says Luxton. "Chris takes
the time to really learn and understand our business,
and so he's become the guy I go to directly to marshal
the right resources that we need to do our patent prosecutions
and various patent-related work."
Campbell, who has three children,
ages 2 to 7, with his wife, Linda, recently turned
40 and believes that his career is exactly where he
wants it to be. "I
feel like I'm embarking upon a really exciting stage
in my work," he explains. "At this point, there's
a tremendous responsibility that's invested in me, and
I'm the one now developing and directing the case strategy.
I like where I'm headed."
