About Chris First
Chris First practices complex litigation, primarily in antitrust and patent matters. He is often consulted for his ability to combine outside-the-box thinking with a unique breadth of knowledge of technology, procedure, and local practice.
Chris began his career practicing at a large international law firm in Washington, DC. His practice included representing some of the largest companies in the world in high-stakes technology litigation and handling a broad array of legal matters for a growing education technology startup.
In 2013, Chris was asked to serve as a law clerk to the Honorable Roy S. Payne of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Marshall, Texas – the busiest federal trial court in the United States at that time.
While in Marshall, Chris handled over a thousand cases and assisted with large jury trials in antitrust, intellectual property, catastrophic personal injury, and civil rights matters. During his time at the Court, Chris also served as an acting law clerk to District Judge Rodney Gilstrap and then-Chief Judge Leonard Davis.
Chris graduated cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he earned the highest overall grade in Advanced Patent Law and Intellectual Property Litigation, as well as serving as a board member on the Journal of Technology Law and Policy. Chris was also named Pro Bono Student of the Year in 2010 for his pro bono work with indigent defendants in the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Chris obtained a breadth of experience prior to attending law school, spending a year as the only undergraduate research assistant in a groundbreaking search and rescue robotics lab, serving on the Board of Directors of a major entertainment venue, and working for two years as a management intern for the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
