Chris Lightner is a senior associate in the Intellectual Property – Mechanical Patents Group, where he focuses his practice on the procurement of patents for wide-ranging technologies, including mechanical and electro-mechanical devices, medical devices, composite materials, manufacturing processes, and business methods. He regularly prepares and prosecutes patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and is experienced in counseling clients on patent portfolio strategies, licensing negotiations, and patent validity, infringement, and enforceability. Chris is also a member of the firm’s Hiring and Sustainability Committees.

Chris is active with the Atlanta Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section, currently serving as its Chair for 2013-2014. Chris also serves on the Patent Committees of the Georgia Bar Association’s Intellectual Property Section, of the Intellectual Property Owners’ (IPO) Association, and of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). Chris is also actively involved on the US-SIPO Liaison Council, which seeks to improve relations between the US and Chinese Patent Offices. In the community, Chris serves on the Board of Directors of Omosaze, a non-profit organization providing struggling elementary-aged students with quality after-school reading instruction. Chris is also active in his parish community of St. Catherine’s of Siena in Kennesaw.

Prior to law school, Chris worked for Boeing as a mechanical engineer on the National Missile Defense program. At Boeing, Chris gained experience with early detection, tracking, target discrimination, and precision intercept through force of hit-to-kill technologies.