J. Christopher Jaczko

Partner

Contact Me

Services & Specializations

Admissions

California

Address

12544 High Bluff Drive, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92130

Office Tel.

619.906.5748

Fax

619.744.5418

Overview

Chris focuses on intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation matters, as well as corporate and complex commercial litigation. Chris serves as the Leader of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Team. With more than 30 years in practice, he has broad experience working with individual business owners, start-up and emerging growth companies, private equity and venture capital portfolio companies, as well as publicly-traded entities across a broad range of industries, including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medtech, communications and consumer products. Because of his expertise and commonsense approach to problem solving, Chris also has served in an outside general counsel role for clients in the sports, entertainment and software industries. Chris has litigated cases in both state and federal courts throughout the United States and before the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Successfully represented a privately-held company in patent litigation relating to methods used for drug discovery resulting in a judgment after trial valued in excess of $18M.
Successfully represented a venture capital firm in defending against claims of securities fraud alleging in excess of $50M.
Successfully represented a venture-backed pharmaceutical company in defending against a $50M breach of contract claim.
Successfully represented a privately held chemical lab company in patent litigation against an infringer, resulting in a multi-million-dollar jury verdict and attorneys fees.
Successfully represented a natural gas company in a multi-million-dollar breach of contract claim involving rights to underground storage leases.
Represented a real estate investor in a fraud claim and successfully recouped its multi-million-dollar investment in a Mexican resort development.
Successfully represented a commercial manufacturing organization in defense of a multi-million breach of contract claim relating to manufacture of generic drugs to treat cancer.
Represented an internet software company in litigation with its former officers who had entered into a conspiracy to misappropriate the client’s trade secrets to unfairly compete and divert business and revenues to themselves. By developing a comprehensive strategy that included regaining control of the company’s systems, terminating the officers’ employment and initiating litigation on the same day, we were able to secure a temporary restraining order and obtain a highly advantageous settlement through which not only did the company regain control over its trade secrets and recover revenues that had been diverted away from it, but it also obtained control over all the assets of the competing business.
Represented a telemedicine company against a claim that its officers misappropriated trade secrets from their former employer. After successfully opposing a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction was able to obtain plaintiff’s dismissal of its claims with prejudice and to pay a portion of client’s attorney’s fees based on inability to define trade secrets allegedly misappropriated.
Successfully represented an equipment manufacturer in a case alleging copyright infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets by obtaining early favorable settlement.
Represented global engineering Fortune 200 company in trial involving trade secret misappropriation claim arising out of designs for hyperscale data centers.
Represented testing laboratory in developing strategy for investigating and confirming theft of trade secrets by contractor and negotiating favorable settlement, which included return and destruction of misappropriated and derivative information.
Represented manufacturer of medical devices against claim that the company and its founder misappropriated trade secrets from former employer. Successfully obtained dismissal of claims based on claimant’s inability to define trade secrets allegedly misappropriated.

Best Lawyers® Litigation-Intellectual Property and Litigation-Patent, 2021-present
Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent Rating
Top Lawyers, San Diego magazine, 2014-present
AmLaw Top Rated Lawyer in Intellectual Property Law, 2013 – present

JD, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
(The International Lawyer, Comments Editor 1989-1990), 1990
BS, (Business Administration with an emphasis in Computer Information Systems), Arizona State University, 1984

Panelist. “Procopio International Litigation & Arbitration Retreat: Resolution of Conflicts involving the U.S. and Mexico,” San Diego, September 29, 2023.

American Bar Association
American Business Trial Lawyers Association
American Inns of Court, Clifford J. Wallace Chapter, Master
San Diego County Bar Association
San Diego Trial Lawyers Association
The State Bar of California, Litigation Section, Intellectual Property Litigation Section

LaSusa, Mike. “Urine Maker Owes $900K in Atty Fees After Loss In IP Suit,” Law360, November 19, 2019.
“Verdicts and Settlements: Intellectual Property,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 2019.
Kass, Dani. “Urine Big Trouble: Willfulness, Misconduct Spark $3M IP Loss,” Law360, March 26, 2019.
“Procopio Elevates Partners,” The Daily Transcript, January 16, 2018.
de Crescenzo, Sarah.“Procopio Ushers in Leadership Changes in New Year,” San Diego Business Journal, January 3, 2018.
“On the Move,” Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 5, 2017.