Mary Helen Montgomery: Give a brief history of your background and education.
Kevin Christopher: I’m a patent attorney with a background in renewable energy policy and biotech commercialization. I’ve worked in several startups, from biomass conversion to boutique biopharma. I’ve also been a teacher, construction framer, streetside sandwich seller, guy who drives cars through auto auction stalls all day, and spoken word artist.
Mary Helen: What is your company?
Kevin: Christopher Intellectual Property Law is a boutique practice specializing in entrepreneurship and technology. We help launch new businesses, guide clients through regulatory landscapes, and secure and monetize critical intellectual property assets.
Mary Helen: Is there something that surprises people about the work that you do?
Kevin: Christopher IP Law is Tennessee’s only law practice following triple bottom line business practices under the national certification standards of B Corporation and One Percent for the Planet. As part of our business model, we designate 10% of all profits towards environmental and social nonprofit organizations like the Access Fund. We also proudly set significant pro bono goals volunteering on behalf of marginalized innovators through initiatives such as the TBA’s Legal Assistance Volunteers for Patent Applicants (LAVPA).
I also have an Yvon Chouinard ice axe in my office, that’s pretty cool.
Mary Helen: Describe the evolution of your company and where you are headed.
Kevin: I launched Christopher IP Law in January 2017 after relocating from the SF Bay Area (go Dubs!). My intent was to create a law firm focused on community development and professional service sans the typical lawyerly practices that everybody hates (such as opening an insignificant piece of mail on your behalf and billing you $150 to let you know that I opened a piece of mail for you.) I love the counseling aspect of law practice, and don’t believe that you can (yet) obtain sophisticated help from AI-embedded software like Legalzoom. In fact, a good portion of my practice involves fixing mistakes as a result of automated corporate filing and patent promotion companies.
Mary Helen: When do you do your best work or come up with your best ideas?
Kevin: On my midnight runs when my three kids under 4-years-old are actually sleeping, and I can just sweat and think.
Mary Helen: How does Chattanooga and the Southeast weave into your story?
Kevin: I’m a great descendant of a guy who got himself stuck in a blacked out cave for several days and resurfaced kind of crazy with stress induced white hair (Aaron Higginbotham), and another guy who was supposedly 400 pounds and lived in a sycamore tree (Thomas Spencer). Who wouldn’t want to ditch California to claim that princely lineage?
Mary Helen: What do you like to do outside of work?
Kevin: Taking my 2-year-old and 4-year-old boys kayaking on Saturday mornings is about as good as it gets. I ate a lot of dirt as a kid, which I think is why I never get sick. While I’ve passed on the dirtbag life in favor of lawyering, I still choose climbing or other recreation over most anything else when I have the choice.
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