Kory D. Christensen
Experience
Kory Christensen is a partner in Stoel Rives' Intellectual Property group. He has a
global practice with clients in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Sweden, and throughout the
United States. His practice emphasizes domestic and international patent
procurement in the software, computer, and medical device industries. A substantial
portion of Kory's practice is also dedicated to intellectual property counseling, due
diligence, strategic patent analysis, intellectual property enforcement, and opinion
letters regarding patent validity and infringement.
Active in the national legal scene, Kory co-authored a book on patent reform
published by Thomson Reuters. He regularly speaks at national and international
conferences on patent-related issues. Although his legal practice is primarily outside
of Utah, he is still very much involved locally, serving as Chair of the Intellectual
Property Section of the Utah State Bar and as an adjunct professor of law at the
University of Utah College of Law.
Representative Work
Partner
Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 578-6993 direct
(801) 578-6999 fax
Patent Procurement and Portfolio Management
kory.christensen@stoel.com

Prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications to issuance.

Developed strategies for building several portfolios with 100+ U.S. and foreign
Education
patents, including a portfolio of nearly 300 patents and applications for the


largest medical device manufacturer in China.
J.D., cum laude
Assisted a worldwide leader in digital media in creating a portfolio of 200+
International Business Journal
patents that was subsequently sold for over $100,000,000.



University of Utah, B.S., Computer
Science, magna cum laude
G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, including more than a dozen patents in which
Chapter president, Tau Beta Pi
Mr. Allen was a co-inventor.
engineering honor society
Assisted a client with obtaining some of the pioneering patents on user-interface
Admissions
technology that is currently ubiquitous in game consoles and other consumer

Utah

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. District Court for the District of
Utah

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal
Due Diligence and Litigation Counseling
Assisted in the due diligence for a major acquisition by a Silicon Valley company
involving some key patents in the computer industry.

Associate Editor, Law & Policy in
Developed a portfolio of over 200 patents and applications for a venture of Paul
electronics.

Georgetown University Law Center,
Successfully sent the patent portfolio of a company that was harassing a client
into re-examination, which effectively ended the lawsuit against the client.
Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court
Kory D. Christensen

Brought a successful patent infringement suit against one of the world's largest software manufacturers on behalf of a clie nt and
negotiated the terms of the settlement agreement.
Professional Honors and Activities

Listed in Best Lawyers in America© , 2014-2016

Selected as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" (Utah) by Chambers USA (currently: Intellectual Property), 20122015

Listed in Mountain States Super Lawyers® (Intellectual Property, Intellectual Property Litigation), 2012-2015

Recognized as an IP Star (as published by Managing Intellectual Property), 2013-2015

Selected as one of Utah's top intellectual property lawyers in Utah Business magazine's "Utah's Legal Elite," 2006-2015

Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Utah College of Law, "International Intellectual Property Law"
Publications
Books

"Recent Developments in the Patent Reform Movement: Potential Benefits and Unintended Consequences," Understanding
Patent Reform Legislation: Leading Lawyers on Defining Key Issues, Interpreting Current Proposed Legislation, and Projecting
Future Developments, Boston: Aspatore Books (Thomson Reuters), 2009
Articles

"A Tale of Two Patent Trolls," Utah Business magazine, June 2015

"Should Software be Patenable? The Debate Rages On," Legal Matters, The Enterprise newspaper, June 2014

"Do Expanded Prior User Rights Under AIA Even the Playing Field," Legal Matters, The Enterprise newspaper, June 2013

"Patent Reform: A Boon for Nimble Startups," Legal Matters, The Enterprise newspaper, Dec. 2011

"How to Avoid Rejection at the Patent and Trademark Office," Utah CEO magazine, Apr. 2010

"Everything Under the Sun but… Business Method Patents Take a Blow," Utah Business magazine, Mar. 2009

"New Challenges for Patenting Software and Business Methods," Legal Matters, The Enterprise, Feb. 9-15, 2009

"An End to Business Method Patents?" Business Connect magazine, 2008

"Fighting Software Piracy in Cyberspace: Legal and Technological Solutions," Law & Policy in International Business Journal, 28:2
Presentations

Panelist, “Strategies for Working with NPEs in the United States,” China Intellectual Property & Innovation Summit, Shanghai,
China, April 2015

Panelist, "Capitalizing on the High Growth Market Opportunity;" Sixth Annual Enterprise Risk Management Symposium; Salt Lake
City, Utah; January 2015
Kory D. Christensen

Panelist, "The View From My Chair: What I Expect from a Law Clerk or Associate," University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of
Law, March 2014

Presenter, “What Every Company Needs to Know about the New U.S. Patent Laws,” 2014 China Intellectual Property &
Innovation Summit, Hangzhou, China, March 2014

Presenter, "Impact of the America Invents Act (AIA) on Daily Patent Prosecution in the U.S.: Avoiding Risks and Sidestepping
Pitfalls," 8th Annual Corporate Intellectual Property Conference, Shenzhen, China, 2013

Presenter, "Strategies for Obtaining U.S. Patents and Increasing ROI in View of Recent U.S. Patent Reforms and Global
Considerations," 7th Annual Corporate Intellectual Property Conference, Guangzhou, China, 2012

Presenter, "How Understanding USPTO Internal Procedures and Recent Initiatives Can Lead to Stronger and More Cost-Efficient
Patents," 2011 International Seminar of Application and Protection Practice of Intellectual Property, Beijing, China

Co-Presenter, "Bilski Round Two: What Is Patentable in Light of the Supreme Court's Recent Decision?," Stoel Rives LLP, Salt
Lake City, Nov. 18, 2010

Presenter, "A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the U.S. Patent Office: Tips for Obtaining Patents from Rejection-Prone Examiners,"
Stoel Rives LLP, Salt Lake City, Jan. 28, 2010

Presenter, "Unlocking the Secrets of the U.S. Patent Office: Strategies for Maximizing Value and Avoiding Pitfalls," Combined
Meeting of the Shenzhen Intellectual Property Office and Shenzhen IP Society, Shenzhen, China, Nov. 17, 2009

Panelist, "In re Bilski: What Can You Patent Now?" Oregon Patent Law Association and Oregon State Bar Computer & Internet
Law Section Joint Meeting, Portland, 2008

Lecturer, "Patent and Trademark Law for the Entrepreneur," Entrepreneur's Law School, Small Business Development Center,
Salt Lake City, 2005

Panelist, "Software Patent Protection in the United States," Past, Present, and Future of E-Commerce, Internet Distribution, and
Computer Law Conference, Center for International Legal Studies, Suffolk University, Boston, 2005

Panelist, "Intellectual Property Management," 2005 Micro Nano Breakthrough Conference, Portland State University, Portland,
2005
Civic Activities

Member, Utah State Bar Intellectual Property Section: chair, 2011; vice chair, 2010; secretary, 2009

Member, Board of Directors, American Lung Association (Utah), 2012-

Member, Board of Trustees, Utah Technology Council, 2005-2009

Member, Board of Directors, Friends for Sight, 2004-2015

Voting member, Electronic and Computer Law Committee, American Intellectual Property Law Association