Chris has more than 15 years’ experience dealing with patents in electronics and mechanical fields, including telecommunications, computer software, e-commerce, power distribution, imaging devices and medical devices and consumables. Chris is well placed to advise clients on the new Unified Patent Court (UPC) - see further details at EIP Amar, our alliance created to support clients in any litigation before the UPC.
His clients range from SMEs to major corporations. As well as his work in patent prosecution, Chris is regularly involved in litigation matters in the UK, Germany and internationally. He is also highly experienced at representing clients at Oral Proceedings at the European Patent Office.
Chris speaks Japanese fluently and has significant experience in prosecuting Japanese patent applications and in performing Japanese-language prior art searches, as well as conducting work on behalf of Japanese clients.
Chris holds a first class degree in Physics from Oxford University, from which he was awarded a scholarship. For his third year project, he performed quantum mechanical analyses of collisions of high-energy sub-atomic particles.
Experience
- Advising on standard essentiality and validity of patents relating to various telecoms and WLAN standards to support commercial negotiations regarding portfolio acquisitions and for the purposes of litigation.
- Technical support for IP Bridge in its UK and German Litigation against Huawei, ZTE and Xiaomi.
- Technical support for Optis in its UK litigation against Apple.
- Significant experience representing clients at Oral Proceedings and in Appeal Proceedings before the EPO, including success in overturning objections of a lack of inventive step due to a lack of technical effect over prior art.
- Litigation support for Unwired Planet in Unwired Planet vs. Apple (Northern District of California) and Unwired Planet vs. Google (District of Nevada).
- Advising SMEs in relation to patent portfolio development strategies.
- Acting for Good Technology, Inc. as part of multinational patent litigation in the field of mobile device management.
- Developing a patent portfolio for Rakuten Group, Inc in relation to various e-commerce related technologies.
- Developing a significant patent portfolio in multiple jurisdictions for an SME in the field of power distribution.
Published articles
- September 2016
IAM Magazine Japanese edition, Poisonous Divisional Applications in Europe (link)
Education
-
1994 — 1997
BA (Oxon) Physics, First Class, Christ Church, Oxford University -
2000
Japanese Proficiency Test Level 1
Career history
- 2012 — present
Partner, EIP - 2006 — 2012
Senior Associate, EIP - 2002 — 2005
Technical Translator and Interpreter (Japanese and English), Nissin Showa UK Ltd - 1999 — 2001
English Teacher, Rugby Ball English Conversation - 1997 — 1999
Assistant Language Teacher, Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program, Nakanokuchi-mura, Niigata, Japan
Awards and recognition
- Recommended patent attorney, Legal 500 2025 (link)
- IAM Patent 1000 2024 (link)
- IAM Patent 1000, 2023. '...has more than 15 years’ experience dealing with mechanical and electronic patents. A fluent Japanese speaker, Price is a major asset for tech players based in Japan.' (link)
- Legal 500, 2022 (link)
- Legal 500, 2021
- Legal 500, 2020. Chris ‘is a highly experienced patent attorney who is easy to work with, clear in his communications and pragmatic in how to manage the patenting process on a worldwide basis.’
- Legal 500, 2016
Languages spoken
- Japanese (Fluent)
- Welsh (Basic)
Speaking engagements
- July 2017
WeWork, Seoul, Korea, Patenting in the US and Europe for Technology Companies - July 2017
KTK (Osaka), Unwired Planet v Huawei FRAND trial - September 2016
Gyeonggi IP Center, Korea, Patents, Trademarks and Registered Designs in Europe - and changes expected after the UK leaves the EU - October 2015
KTK (Osaka), Amendments under the EPC and drafting strategies in view of same - November 2015
KTK (Tokyo), Amendments under the EPC and drafting strategies in view of same - 11 July 2014
Japanese Patent Attorney Association Seminar, PCT specification drafting - October 2013
ESTnet, Patents, Patenting and Patent Box Seminar (link) - July 2013
KTK (Osaka) Seminar, Smoothing prosecution before the EPO - March 2013
EIP Seminar, How to get the most value from your IP - October 2012
Cardiff Medicentre Breakfast Briefing, Managing Intellectual Property from Start-up to Exit
Additional information
- Regularly presents seminars on a range of patent related matters, including in the Japanese language.
- Contributor to the Japanese language book “Key Points in Drafting PCT Applications for Japan, the USA, Europe and China”.
Specialisms
Digital
- Audio codecs
- Digital health
- Fintech
- Image and signal processing
- Medical imaging
- Photonics and optics
- Software
- Telecommunications
Energy
- Grids
HealthTech
- Digital health
- Medical devices
- Medical imaging