Christopher S. Ford is a counsel in the Litigation Department who is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group and Data Strategy & Security practice.
Mr. Ford is a litigator with extensive experience representing clients in high-stakes trademark, trade dress, and false advertising cases in federal courts nationwide, as well as before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board. He represents clients across a range of industries, including in technology, consumer products, food and beverage, and fashion. He also regularly advises clients on issues relating to their trademark and brand management, including trademark prosecution.
Mr. Ford has earned national recognition for his trademark litigation work. In 2025, The Legal 500 US recognized him as a leader for trademark litigation, with clients noting that he is “a go-to for trademark matters in the tech and blockchain sectors.” From 2022-2025, Managing IP has recognized Mr. Ford as a U.S. “Rising Star” for trademark work, and The World Trademark Review 1000 (2025) ranks him in the bronze band for trademark litigation.
Mr. Ford is particularly active in advising clients in the technology sector on issues relating to their intellectual property rights and other regulatory considerations. His recent representations include helping companies navigate the intellectual property issues surrounding artificial intelligence, advising technology platforms facing contentious trademark, copyright, and false advertising litigation, and securing one of the first ever preliminary injunctions against an infringing digital token. In addition to civil litigation, Mr. Ford represents clients facing investigations and federal litigation brought by regulators including the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A thought leader on emerging issues in intellectual property, Mr. Ford routinely writes and speaks on artificial intelligence and the intersection of technology and intellectual property law, and has been quoted in publications including Billboard, Law360, and The Recorder on trademark issues. He is currently a member of the International Trademark Association’s Emerging Issues committee and previously served for four years as the chair of the U.S. Litigation task force of the Non-Traditional Marks committee. He has also guest lectured on trademark and trade dress issues at New York University School of Law and Rutgers School of Law.
In addition to his intellectual property practice, Mr. Ford advises clients on cybersecurity incident response and preparedness, including data breaches, business email compromises, ransomware incidents, and other data security issues. His practice includes representations in criminal cases, federal and state regulatory investigations, and civil litigation. He regularly assists clients in combatting fraudulent activity online, including taking down malicious domain names and social media posts. He also counsels clients on their cybersecurity risk management and business continuity planning.
Mr. Ford maintains an active pro bono practice. His pro bono matters include representation of plaintiffs in constitutional challenges involving religious liberty and immigration rights. His work includes a case that resulted in a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming his clients’ ability to seek damages under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and years of advocacy for Yemeni American families in visa litigation in New York and California.
Mr. Ford joined Debevoise in 2012. From 2015 to 2017, he clerked for the Hon. Laura Taylor Swain of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Ford received a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, cum laude, in 2012. Mr. Ford was an articles editor on the Duke Law Journal. He received a B.A., with high honors, from Swarthmore College in 2007.
Mr. Ford is a member of the Bar of the State of New York and the State of California. Mr. Ford is admitted to appear before the Southern District of New York, the Central District of California, the Northern District of California, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, and the Supreme Court of the United States.