Christina is a seasoned patent attorney who has deep capabilities around drafting and prosecuting patents related to the electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical fields. She represents companies and academic institutions across the medical technology spectrum as well as a variety of other technology companies. She helps patent innovations related to medical and surgical instruments and devices, mechanical products and processes, digital health and other technology apps, telecommunications, computer hardware, and software. Providing opinions on infringement, validity, and right-to-use is also integral to her practice.
Christina is an experienced patent attorney whose clients are focused in mechanical, electrical, and electro-mechanical technology spaces, from start-ups to large corporations and academic institutions. She advises on patent preparation, prosecution, and portfolio management and provides opinions on infringement, validity, and right-to-use for clients in the US and internationally.
The areas of technology in which Christina is particularly focused include medical and surgical instruments and devices including endoscopic, soft tissue, and spinal technologies; printer and imaging technology; wireless technology including 4G, 5G, and 6G; computer hardware; computer network technology; software such as database management systems, communication protocols, and graphics interfaces; financial services; cell sorting technology; and radar technology.
While in law school, Christina served as the executive editor of the Journal of Science & Technology Law.
Christina is a seasoned patent attorney who has deep capabilities around drafting and prosecuting patents related to the electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical fields. She represents companies and academic institutions across the medical technology spectrum as well as a variety of other technology companies. She helps patent innovations related to medical and surgical instruments and devices, mechanical products and processes, digital health and other technology apps, telecommunications, computer hardware, and software. Providing opinions on infringement, validity, and right-to-use is also integral to her practice.
Experience
- Represent private equity-owned Wayne Fueling Systems, formerly a division of General Electric, which manufactures fuel dispensers for petroleum retailers and commercial fleets, and compressed natural gas fueling pumps. Mintz handles worldwide patent and trademark strategy and prosecution, and enforces those protections in the US and abroad. The firm's relationship attorney serves as outside patent counsel and sits on the patent review committee, working directly with the company's stakeholders in developing patent strategy.
- Advised medical device client on developing and implementing a post-litigation strategy. Having lost a patent litigation (in which they were represented by another law firm), Mintz attorneys helped the company assess whether they could keep their product on the market during the appeal process. We then provided advice on how to create possible design-arounds for the product to ensure it was clear of infringing the patents at issue, in the event that the appeal was unsuccessful.
- Developed an IP strategy for a start-up company that designed a cap for user in monitoring compliance for inhalers to treat asthma. Built a successful portfolio based on the strategy, which led to a successful exit.
viewpoints
A Typo to Remember: Erroneous Patent Number in Terminal Disclaimer Destroys Exclusive Rights
June 14, 2024 | Blog | By Kevin Amendt, Andrew DeVoogd, Christina Sperry
On May 29, 2024, the Western District of Oklahoma in SIPCO, LLC v. JASCO Prods. Co. dismissed the plaintiff SIPCO’s patent infringement claims against defendant JASCO because of a minor typo made by the USPTO during prosecution.
Year in Review: The Most Popular IP Posts of 2023
January 4, 2024 | Blog | By Christina Sperry
As 2024 begins and intellectual property (IP) strategies are being developed for the new year, it is a good time to reflect on what IP issues were prominent in 2023. According to many readers, hot IP topics included patent litigation strategies, artificial intelligence (AI), and pharmaceutical-related patent applications.
Can Enablement and Written Description Bars be Lower for Method-Of-Treatment Patent Claims?
August 21, 2023 | Blog | By Lei Xu, PhD, Dean Farmer, PhD, Christina Sperry
Patent offices may reject a patent application with claims reciting using a composition to treat a disease, based on the requirement that the claimed treatment is not fully supported by the application.
Year in Review: The Most Popular IP Posts of 2022
January 5, 2023 | Blog | By Christina Sperry
Innovators developing IP strategies for 2023 are reflecting on last year’s key IP issues, including entity size designations for US patent applications, erasures of patent damage awards due to flawed expert opinions, and developments involving the ITC, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and inter partes reviews.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Takes a Role in USPTO Patent Searches
November 8, 2022 | Blog | By Christina Sperry
In 2021 the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based prototype search system for use by examiners during examination of patent applications. The USPTO found searching success with the prototype, for the USPTO just launched an AI-based “Similarity Search” in the Patents End-to-End (PE2E) prior art search suite for patents examiners.
Determining Entity Status Before the United States and Patent Trademark Office: Large, Small, or Micro?
May 3, 2022 | Blog | By Christina Sperry, Elissa Kingsland
At the time of filing any patent application with the United States and Patent Trademark Office (USPTO), patent applicants must designate their entity status. Selecting the correct entity status can significantly reduce costs, so it is important to determine the correct entity status and update the status as needed throughout a patent’s and patent application’s life. There are three types of entity statuses: large, small, or micro, with small and micro entities being entitled to reduced USPTO fees
Your Patent Application Is About To Get A First Office Action: Now What?
February 9, 2022 | Blog | By Christina Sperry
Year in Review: The Most Popular IP Posts of 2021
January 5, 2022 | Blog | By Christina Sperry
The USPTO’s Patent Classification and Search Systems Have Jumped on the AI Bandwagon
July 8, 2021 | Blog | By Christina Sperry, Amanda Metell
News & Press
The Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 184 Mintz Attorneys across 56 Practice Areas
August 15, 2024
187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
Christina is a seasoned patent attorney who has deep capabilities around drafting and prosecuting patents related to the electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical fields. She represents companies and academic institutions across the medical technology spectrum as well as a variety of other technology companies. She helps patent innovations related to medical and surgical instruments and devices, mechanical products and processes, digital health and other technology apps, telecommunications, computer hardware, and software. Providing opinions on infringement, validity, and right-to-use is also integral to her practice.
Recognition & Awards
Included on the Massachusetts Super Lawyers list (2016 – 2020)
Best Lawyers in America: Patent Law (2024 - 2025)
Christina is a seasoned patent attorney who has deep capabilities around drafting and prosecuting patents related to the electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical fields. She represents companies and academic institutions across the medical technology spectrum as well as a variety of other technology companies. She helps patent innovations related to medical and surgical instruments and devices, mechanical products and processes, digital health and other technology apps, telecommunications, computer hardware, and software. Providing opinions on infringement, validity, and right-to-use is also integral to her practice.
Involvement
- Member, Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts
- Member, Boston Intellectual Property Law Association
- Member, Boston Bar Association
Recent Insights
187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
