Lawyer Bio : M. Christopher Bolen

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M. Christopher Bolen

Research Triangle Park

Christopher Bolen is the Co-chair of Womble Carlyle’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, and has more than 25 years of experience in intellectual property matters. Christopher regularly advises technology- and knowledge-based companies on developing and implementing intellectual property strategies. Christopher’s principal areas of practice include complex technology licensing and IP-related transactions, trademarks and copyrights. He advises clients on all aspects of the development, protection and commercialization of technology and brands in traditional and electronic distribution channels.
 
Representative matters in which Christopher has recently assisted clients include:
 
  • Represented international plant science company in development, roll-out and implementation of global licensing model for development, production and commercialization of herbicide-tolerant crops.
  • Represented a multinational specialty chemical company in structuring and negotiating multi-year strategic alliance agreement with a manufacturer of regenerated materials to produce innovative materials for the automotive and flooring markets.
  • Represented a multinational specialty chemical company in structuring and negotiating a $75 million contract-manufacturing and license agreement to provide additional manufacturing capacity and improved supply chain capabilities to the client’s existing manufacturing facilities.
  • Served as special IP counsel to technology company in a multi-million dollar secured loan transaction with a statewide economic development authority, in which the the company’s intellectual property portfolio was pledged as collateral for the loan.
  • Represented the lead lender in the intellectual property aspects of a $117 million syndicated credit facility secured by the intellectual property estate of a multinational software company.
  • Represented a venture-backed biotechnology start-up company in the simultaneous negotiation of technology license agreements with three different universities as part of a complex $27 million venture capital financing.
  • Represented several multinational manufacturers in designing and executing enterprise-wide intellectual property audits and implementing internal improvements to the clients’ internal processes for capturing newly-developed technologies and protecting their intellectual property estates.

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Professional Activities

Admitted to the bar: 1985, Texas; 1988, North Carolina.

AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

For eight consecutive years (2002 through 2009), Christopher was named among North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” by Business North Carolina magazine and, for the fifth consecutive year, he was named a Super Lawyer in 2010 by Law & Politics. Christopher is a past Chair of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and a member of the Licensing Executives Society and the International Trademark Association. Christopher is also a member of the Intellectual Property Committee of Lex Mundi, a multinational consortium of major law firms. Christopher is a past-Chair of the Board of Directors of Casa Esperanza Charter Montessori School, a dual-language Montessori school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Christopher is a frequent speaker at intellectual property seminars and contributor of articles on intellectual property and technology licensing.

Education

B.S., 1981, Southern Methodist University, Engineering Management, summa cum laude; M.B.A., 1985, Southern Methodist University; J.D., 1985, Southern Methodist University; Order of the Coif; Assistant Editor‑in‑Chief, Southwestern Law Journal.

Additional Information

Firm Management Responsibilities
Co-chair, Intellectual Property Practice Group
Managing Member, Research Triangle Park Office
Firm Management Committee
 
Languages 
Conversational Spanish