Christopher J. Renk

Partner

Chicago Tel +1 312.583.2423

Christopher Renk focuses his practice on litigating patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, false advertising and unfair competition cases. His broad experience includes successful representation of both plaintiffs and defendants as lead and co-counsel in jury trials, bench trials and appeals. His cases have involved a broad range of topics, including computer software, consumer electronics, product designs, electrical controls, internet content delivery, medical and surgical devices, heat transfer, distilled spirits, contact lenses, fuel injection systems, athletic footwear, and textiles processing.

Christopher is a registered patent attorney. In addition to his active practice, he is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and is a Member of the Sedona Conference Working Group on Patent Remedies. He has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and serves at Northwestern University Law School, where he teaches Patent Trial Practice and Patent Litigation II. He is a contributing author of the Patent Litigation Strategies Handbook (Fourth Edition), BNA, 2015; Patent Litigation (Third Edition), PLI, 2015; and Patent Trial Advocacy Casebook (Third Edition), ABA, 2015.

Clients have called him "…an amazing trial attorney and a force of nature. He can make something very complicated sound clear and has this ability to get juries to resonate toward him. He is also 'friendly, highly professional and enjoyable to work with'" (World Trademark Review).

Focus Areas

Perspectives

March 5, 2025

The Federal Circuit reminds that the ITC is accessible to smaller market segments (pdf)

Westlaw Today

February 11, 2025

The Federal Circuit Reminds That the ITC Is Accessible to Smaller Market Segments

Advisory

February 5, 2025

WTR 1000 2025 Recognizes Arnold & Porter’s Trademark Capabilities

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 91 Arnold & Porter Lawyers, Names Three as "Lawyers of the Year" and 80 as "Ones to Watch"

June 11, 2024

IAM Patent 1000 2024 Highlights Arnold & Porter’s Patent Capabilities

Recognition

World Trademark Review 1000

Enforcement and Litigation (IL) (2021-2025)
Trademark Litigation and Enforcement (2017-2020)

Benchmark Litigation

Litigation Star — Intellectual Property (2025)

Best Lawyers

Litigation — Intellectual Property (IL) (2010-2020, 2022-2025)
Litigation — Patent (IL) (2010-2020, 2022-2025)

“…simply the best! They are intelligent but humble lawyers and good people who can explain complex legal and technical topics to a Fortune 500 CEO or a kindergartener.”—IAM Patent 1000 

Credentials

Education

J.D., University of Minnesota
B.S., Iowa State University

Admissions

Illinois
Minnesota
District of Columbia
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
Supreme Court of Illinois
Supreme Court of Minnesota
District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Overview