N. Christopher Norton

Practice Areas

Chris Norton is a partner in the intellectual property practice at Arent Fox.  He works with clients of all sizes on domestic and global brand protection issues. He is also a member of the firm’s employment committee, which recruits new attorneys and manages the firm’s summer associate program. 

Client Work

Chris helped develop the Arent Fox BrandArmada® service, which is an innovative and cost-effective, team-based approach for managing and protecting large international trademark portfolios. Chris manages several BrandArmada teams at Arent Fox and works closely with local counsel around the world to protect our clients' intellectual property interests in the US and abroad.

Chris counsels clients on domestic and global intellectual property issues, including worldwide trademark, trade dress, and copyright protection and enforcement, right of publicity issues, brand rollouts, and dispute resolution.  He prepares and prosecutes trademark applications, represents clients before the US Patent and Trademark Office in trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings, prepares brand availability opinions and license agreements, manages online brand protection programs including the prosecution of domain name dispute resolution proceedings and filing DMCA complaints, conducts intellectual property due diligence for licensing programs and mergers and acquisitions, and works with Arent Fox’s team of intellectual property litigators at all stages of litigation and dispute resolution.  He regularly conducts workshops for client in-house legal and brand development teams on how to choose and protect strong new brands.  

Professional Activities

Chris holds membership in the International Trademark Association as well as the Intellectual Property Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Publications, Presentations and Recognitions

Chris co-authored “Monitoring License Agreements and Licensees,” The Licensing Journal, April 1, 2006.

Chris co-authored “The Role of Trade Mark Use in US Infringement, Unfair Competition and Dilution Proceedings,” a chapter in the book Trade Mark Use, published by Oxford University Press in March 2005.

Bar and Court Admissions

District of Columbia Bar
Maryland Bar

Education

University of California, Los Angeles, JD, 2001
Georgetown University, BSFS (cum laude), 1993

Life Beyond the Law

Chris was born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and currently lives in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, DC. He loves to travel, ski, cook, and find great restaurants. He is awakened every morning by his energetic lab Ruby, who does not believe in sleeping late.