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Douglas J. Crisman

Partner

Douglas J. Crisman brings the perspective of a software designer and intellectual property (IP) director for a leading computer hardware company to his patent law practice, which includes patent preparation, licensing, and prelitigation opinions, as well as IP transactions, due diligence, and counseling. A co-leader of the IP Open Source Software Working Group, Doug routinely works with standards-setting bodies and consortia on IP issues, and provides advice on strategic IP management and open source legal issues ranging from software development to code review and licensing.

Because of his technical background, Douglas focuses on projects that relate to software applications, the Internet, computer operating system software and system architecture, computer graphics and visualization, communications systems, memory devices, integrated circuit design and processing, and signal processing.

As director of intellectual property at Silicon Graphics International (SGI), Douglas built, licensed, and enforced a portfolio of more than 1,000 patents. He also managed patent litigation, oversaw open source legal matters, and managed a worldwide trademark portfolio. The dozens of IP-focused transactions Douglas negotiated at SGI include the divestiture of the company’s Cray subsidiary and a multimillion dollar patent agreement with Microsoft. 

While at Cornell University, Douglas participated in a GE fellowship for graduate studies in electrical engineering. Before going to law school, he designed and wrote signal processing software as a systems engineer for IBM Federal Systems Division.

  • Cornell Law School, 1994, J.D., Cum Laude
  • Indiana University, 1984, B.S., Physics and Mathematics
  • California
  • US Patent and Trademark Office

Member, Practice Group of the Year, Intellectual Property, Law360 (2019)

Member, Litigation Department of the Year–Intellectual Property, The American Lawyer (2019)

Phi Beta Kappa

Sigma Pi Sigma (National Physics Honor Society)

Gold Key (National Academic Honor Society)

General Electric Fellowship for Graduate Studies in Electrical Engineering