Christopher J. Menke

Christopher J. Menke

Christopher J. Menke is a shareholder in Urban Thier Federer & Jackson, P.A. He is based in the Orlando office and focuses his practice on intellectual property matters in the areas of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and technology transfer. Mr. Menke was formerly an attorney with the United States Government in the Intellectual Property Law Division, Air Force Materiel Command Law Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. While with the United States Government, he prepared and prosecuted numerous patent and trademark applications, directly supervised the work of four patent attorneys having over 70 years of combined experience and managed an intellectual property portfolio of over 1,200 issued patents, pending patent applications and new invention disclosures. Additionally, he negotiated and prepared license agreements, assignment agreements and cooperative research and development agreements for the transfer of technology to businesses, academia and government organizations.

Mr. Menke was also a patent attorney with the law firm of Fleit Gibbons Gutman Bongini & Bianco P.A., in Miami, Florida, where he prepared and prosecuted domestic, foreign and international patent applications for United States, European Union and other international clients. He was also a patent law clerk with Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson Company, where he led a team of engineers to facilitate the identification of inventions and preparation of patent applications for embolic coils, catheters, stents and other medical devices and methods.

Mr. Menke is a registered patent attorney, concentrating his practice in domestic and international patent, trademark and copyright protection, licensing and infringement; trade secret protection and enforcement; technology transfer negotiation and enforcement; intellectual property portfolio management; and intellectual property strategies in business transactions. He has experience writing and prosecuting patent applications in many technology areas, including mechanical, aerospace, electrical, propulsion, materials, optical, medical devices, medical procedures, computer software and business methods.

Mr. Menke is a member of the bar of the State of Florida and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He is also a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property.

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EDUCATION

  • University of Miami
    • School of Law; Coral Gables, Florida
    • Juris Doctor (J.D.)
    • conferred May 2003, with Honors (cum laude)
  • University of Arkansas
    • The Graduate School; Hurlburt Field, Florida
    • Master of Science in Operations Management (M.S.)
    • conferred December 1997
  • Saint Louis University
    • Parks College of Engineering, Aviation, and Technology; Cahokia, Illinois
    • Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering (B.S.)
    • conferred January 1991

EMPLOYMENT

  • Shareholder, Urban Thier Federer & Jackson, P.A. Orlando, Florida, June 2010 – Present
  • Chief of Patent Law, Air Force Materiel Command, United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, January 2007 – June 2010
    • Managed intellectual property workflow for eight patent attorneys
    • Negotiated license, assignment and technology transfer agreements
    • Reviewed and imposed secrecy orders on patent applications filed in the USPTO
  • Associate Attorney and Patent Agent, Fleit Gibbons Gutman Bongini & Bianco, P.A. Miami, Florida, January 2003 – September 2006
    • Prepared and prosecuted international, foreign and domestic patent applications
    • Prepared patentability, validity and infringement opinions
  • Patent Law Clerk, Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson Company Miami Lakes, Florida, June 2001 – December 2002
    • Prepared provisional and non-provisional utility patent applications
    • Led team of design engineers to identify and protect new medical devices
  • Officer, United States Air Force (Active Duty 1992-2000, Reserves 2000-Present)
    • Judge Advocate General
      • 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 2010 – Present
      • Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, January 2007 – April 2010
      • Intellectual Property Law Division, Air Force Materiel Command Law Office,
        Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, September 2004 – December 2006
    • Logistics Officer
      • 482d Fighter Wing, Homestead ARB, Florida, August 2000 – August 2004
      • 36th Air Base Wing, Andersen AFB, Guam, May 1999 – July 2000
      • 46th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida, August 1992 – April 1996
    • Flight Training Officer/Flight Commander
      • Officer Training School, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, May 1996 – April 1999

ORGANIZATIONS and MEMBERSHIPS

Admitted, Florida Bar
Admitted, Bar of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Admitted, Bar of the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
Registered, United States Patent and Trademark Office
Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

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