Christian E. Mammen is focused on patent and other intellectual property litigation, disputes and strategy. He has over a decade of experience in San Francisco and Silicon Valley law firms, and also holds a doctorate in law from Oxford University—one of only a handful of practitioners in the United States to have earned that distinction. His primary focus is federal litigation for technology-based companies in such fields as telecommunications, software, electronics, and biotechnology.

With his independent law practice, Dr. Mammen can provide substantive personal attention, deep understanding and innovative application of the law, and, ultimately, cost-effective representation with a commitment to the highest standards of excellence and ethics.

He provides the following services:

  • IP Litigation and Appeals: Representing clients in intellectual property litigation and appeals.
  • Adjunct In-House Counsel:  Assisting small or large law departments who need an experienced IP litigator to manage IP litigation, including budgeting, discovery planning, strategy, and managing outside litigation counsel, on either a short-term or long-term basis.
  • IP Litigation “Check-Up”:  Providing one-time consultation about budget, case management and strategy in pending IP litigation, for clients who may not need or desire the more extended services of adjunct in-house counsel.
  • Strategy: Assisting individuals and businesses plan and implement the protection of their intellectual property.
  • Of Counsel:  Providing services to law firms that need an experienced IP litigator on an interim, intermittent or long-term basis.
  • Amicus Briefing:  Providing scholarly and thoughtful analysis on behalf of non-parties interested in providing amicus curiae input to pending appeals.
  • Local Counsel: Acting as local counsel for litigation in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Advice to Law Students:  Mammen recently published a column in The Recorder, giving advice about things law students and young lawyers can do to take charge of their careers.  Download a copy here.

Update on Reform of the Inequitable Conduct Defense

Dr. Mammen has taken an active role in pressing to clarify and reform the inequitable conduct defense in patent litigation.  His recent article, “Controlling the ‘Plague,’” published in the Berkeley Technology Law Journal,  is among the most-downloaded papers on that subject on the Social Sciences Research Network.

In March 2010, he authored an IP Law Professors’ amicus brief to the Federal Circuit in support of en banc review in the Therasense case.  The Federal Circuit has granted en banc review in Therasense, representing the first en banc reconsideration of the doctrine in 22 years.   In July 2010, Mammen also authored an IP Law Professors’ amicus brief at the merits stage of the Therasense en banc rehearing.  Along with prominent IP litigators Edward Reines and Donald Dunner, Mammen was quoted in an August 16, 2010 National Law Journal article titled “An overhaul for inequitable conduct claims?”  (click to access, NLJ subscription required).   Mammen is a frequent speaker on the Therasense case, nationally and internationally, including the San Diego IP Lawyers’ Association (September 2010), the Fordham IP Law Journal Symposium in New York (November 2010), the 26th Annual Conference of the American Bar Association IP Law Section in Washington DC (April 2011), and the Competition Law Association in London, England (May 2011).

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