Covington & Burling LLP | Biographies

Christopher Nofal is resident in our Washington office and practices in the area of intellectual property litigation. He has substantial experience assessing the patentability of databases, data structures, and file systems under US and international law. His technical expertise extends to areas of computer programming, microprocessor design, artificial intelligence theory, robotic engineering, and genetic algorithms.

Prior to graduating from Northwestern University School of Law, Mr. Nofal served as a patent examiner with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, where he issued over sixty patents and successfully briefed numerous appeals before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. During law school, Mr. Nofal clerked at the United States Attorney’s Office, where he tried a number of cases concerning criminal violations of the Code of Federal Regulations. He complemented his legal training at Yale University, where he was named a research fellow, focusing on burgeoning copyright, trademark, free speech, and privacy law issues.

Representative Matters

Representing several major US commercial broadcasting networks in patent infringement actions relating to text messaging before the Northern District of Illinois.
Representing the largest US newspaper publisher in a patent infringement action relating to text messaging before the District of Arizona.
Representing a leading manufacturer of acoustic components in a patent infringement action and licensing dispute concerning MEMS microphones before the District of Massachusetts and the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court, respectively.
Represented an American global brand company in a patent infringement action relating to targeted online advertising before the Eastern District of Virginia.