About Chris R.
Chris R. Schmidt combines technical training in chemical engineering with a legal education that he completed in 2014. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from California State University, San Jose State University in 2001, then returned to school a decade later and received his J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2014. That mix of engineering and law quietly shapes the kind of matters he handles.
His credentials include registration to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and admission to the California bar. Those qualifications allow him to advise clients on patent-related matters and to file and prosecute patent applications on their behalf. Early in his legal career he spent time at Fenwick & West LLP, where he worked alongside attorneys handling technology and intellectual property issues. The experience exposed him to the practical needs of companies that rely on patented technology.
Schmidt’s technical background in chemical engineering informs his approach to intellectual property. He is comfortable reading technical disclosures, assessing inventiveness, and translating engineering concepts into claims. That technical grounding is useful whether he is evaluating patentability, drafting applications, or responding to office actions from patent examiners.
Colleagues describe him as methodical and precise. He tends to break complex problems into discrete issues and tackle them in turn. Clients often see that as practical: clear steps, clear options, and an emphasis on procedural milestones. In prosecution work he pays attention to claim scope and to potential prosecution history that could affect later disputes. He also advises on strategies for building patent portfolios that align with a company’s development timeline and commercial objectives.
Today he practices at TechniSoil. His work involves preparing and prosecuting patent applications and counseling clients on patent strategy and related intellectual property matters. He represents inventors and companies before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and handles patent matters under California law. He currently practices patent prosecution and intellectual property matters at TechniSoil.
