Overview
Christopher M. Bruno focuses his practice on intellectual property litigation matters, primarily involving trade secrets, patents, and related contract disputes.
Chris’s patent caseload has included an array of technologies in the pharmaceutical, immunology, medical device, agritech, and computing systems fields. In the area of pharmaceuticals, Chris has experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in patent infringement actions related to antibiotics, cancer-treatment drugs, sleep aid medications, and fungal infection ointments in district courts around the country. Chris has participated on several trial teams in high-stakes, high-profile litigation in pharmaceutical and agritech cases, and has collaborated on matters before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the US Supreme Court. Notably, Chris was one of the first attorneys to litigate novel issues of statutory construction of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act.
Apart from his patent work, Chris has extensive litigation experience, including a very active critical motions and appellate practice. Chris has personally argued in three courts of appeal and has drafted critical motions and briefs in numerous subject areas, including employment, environmental, defamation, copyright, tax, and complex commercial litigation law.
Chris served as law clerk to the Hon. Todd M. Hughes for the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Hon. Gail J. Standish for the US District Court for the Central District of California.
During law school, Chris served a Notes Editor on the George Washington Law Review, a member of the Moot Court Board, and a representative of the law school in the George Washington University Student Association.
Results
- Represents a charitable non-profit hospital suing an orthopaedic implant manufacturer/distributor for patent infringement based on patents covering improved polyethylene
- Serves as counsel on a third-party logistics provider in a copyright and trade secret dispute with a software development company
- Represents a drug manufacturer in a 12-patent case against several generic pharmaceutical companies involving a formulation treating toenail fungal infections
- Successfully served as lead counsel in a federal appeal on behalf of a criminal defendant challenging the length in his sentence
- Represented a large retail hospitality provider in a computing systems technology patent infringement action*
- Successfully represented an agricultural chemical business plaintiff in a patent infringement and contract dispute resulting in a $1 billion jury damages award*
- Successfully represented generic pharmaceutical manufacturer at trial invalidating antibiotic patents, resulting in an earlier-than-anticipated launch*
- Successfully represented a prominent prize-awarding institution against a claim of defamation*
- Represented a territorial government in tax disputes in U.S. Tax Court and several courts of appeals to protect its economic development program*
- Successfully defeated class certification involving many thousands of employees in wage & hour employment dispute on behalf of a large healthcare provider*
- Successfully represented a veteran in a pro bono matter seeking further review of a request for an increase in benefits*
- Achieved favorable settlement on behalf of a victim of a fraudulent mortgage modification in pro bono representation*
*Matter handled prior to joining McDermott.
Credentials
Education
George Washington University School of Law, JD, with high honors, Order of the Coif, 2009
George Washington University, BA, Political Communications, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 2006
Admissions
District of Columbia
New York
Courts / Agencies
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States Tax Court
