Kristopher R. Wood
Of Counsel
オレンジ・カウンティ
Kristopher (Kris) Wood is a trial lawyer in Orrick’s Orange County office who focuses on data center, AI and technology litigation. He is also the go-to litigator for Orrick’s public finance group in California.
Kris represents technology companies in high-stakes litigation, with a growing focus on data center and tech torts disputes. He is a primary litigation advisor to a major technology company on disputes arising from the development and operation of its data centers and handles AI copyright class action defense, trade secrets, social media and online gaming disputes. He also has experience in the life sciences, health & fitness, food & beverage and automotive sectors, in matters involving intellectual property, business torts, employee mobility, fraud and complex commercial disputes in State and Federal courts and in arbitration.
In addition, Kris is the go-to litigator for Orrick’s public finance group in California, with extensive experience advising public entity clients on litigation risk related to bond transactions or the use of bond proceeds, representing clients in validation proceedings and other litigation related to government bonds and briefing precedent-setting issues before the California Supreme Court.
Beyond his paid work, Kris is an active participant in pro bono activities and organizations. In addition to regularly taking on pro bono matters, Kris serves on the Board of Directors and its executive committee for the Public Law Center of Orange County, which named him its Attorney of the Year in 2018. Within Orrick, he has served as the Orange County representative on the US Associates Committee and chaired the Orange County Associates Committee.
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Technology and Data Center Matters:
- Led trial preparation for a major social media company in litigation brought by an advertiser over the termination of its account, including setting trial strategy and preparing witness examinations.
- Advises a major technology company on litigation and administrative matters involving multiple data centers.
- Manages the defense of a data cloud company in a copyright infringement class action brought on behalf of authors alleging use of copyrighted material to train an AI model.
- Represents a semiconductor manufacturer asserting trade secret misappropriation claims.
- Represented an social media platform in litigation, including briefing on short timelines in response to a threatened TRO.
- Second-chaired a bench trial in California superior court for a closely-held electronics manufacturer in a dispute between founders over stock ownership, after managing the litigation from inception; cross-examined adverse expert and fact witnesses.
- Represented a major fast food company in false advertising and business torts litigation spanning multiple jurisdictions, concluding with mediation and a favorable settlement.
- Second-chaired a bench trial in California superior court for a closely-held electronics manufacturer in a dispute between founders over stock ownership, after managing the litigation from inception; cross-examined adverse expert and fact witnesses.
- Represented a prominent aerospace company in responding to a subpoena for highly-sensitive information related to a subsidiary’s product development process in connection with a trade secrets case involving defamation counterclaims.
- Represented an EV manufacturer in arbitration involving trademark licensing claims and breach of contract claims, resolved through mediation.
- Represented an automotive parts remanufacturer in a multi-jurisdiction trade secret dispute involving both civil claims and white-collar criminal investigations
- Represented a publicly traded life-sciences corporation defending against trade secret misappropriation claims in Federal court and then in arbitration after a successful motion to compel.
- Represented a boutique fitness franchisor in a variety of matters, including disputes with franchisees, vendors, former employees, and competitors
- Developed the winning theory and drafted the briefs that won summary judgment for a school district in a case challenging a construction project funded by Proposition 39 school bond funds, then successfully defended that win on appeal. The victory was featured on the front page of The Bond Buyer.
- Prepared and filed an amicus brief in the California Supreme Court supporting the constitutional validity of a city's pension obligation bonds on behalf of the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties, contributing to a complete win that established binding precedent for local governments statewide.
- Developed strategy for validating judgment obligation bond credit facility for payment of stipulated judgments in settlement of tort claims in numerous lawsuits against school districts and other public entities brought under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.1 and California Assembly Bill 218.
Wyoming Supreme Court Erases Blue Pencil Rule for Employee Non-Compete Agreements
3 minute read | March.31.2022
