Christina Von der Ahe Rayburn

Christina Von der Ahe Rayburn joined Hueston Hennigan LLP in 2018 as an IP litigation partner who handles high-profile, high-stakes technology disputes for clients such as Amazon.com, Monster Beverage Corp., BlackBerry Ltd., ClearOne Inc. and Acorn Semi LLC.

Earlier, she was a partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and an associate at Weil Gotshal & Manges. After earning degrees in mechanical engineering and political science at Stanford, she obtained her J.D. from Harvard Law School and clerked for U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford of Santa Ana.

Rayburn loves trial work. Her enthusiasm for winning courtroom skirmishes spilled over during a 2021 patent trial in Texas, she recalled, when during cross-examination, she bested a patronizing expert who didn't expect the deeply knowledgeable question she zinged him with. "He'd tried to talk over my head, and then he sheepishly admitted I was right," she said. "As he was exiting the courtroom, I did a celebratory kick and fist-pump, which I believe he saw. That was satisfying."

She's currently prepping for a July trial in Delaware for client Medtronic plc over a hundred-million-dollar patent dispute. The medical device maker brought on Hueston Hennigan to replace another firm near the close of fact discovery. The issue is a patent infringement claim regarding Medtronic's prosthetic heart valve. The pressure is on because the same Medtronic business unit several years ago lost a $100 million case to a different patent plaintiff.

Part of getting ready included a trip to Medtronic's regional headquarters. "We went up to Santa Rosa to see the valve in action," Rayburn said. "I did a practice insertion into a model. It really helps to know what actually goes on. We have a strong case, and we have built a powerful expert strategy." Speyside Medical LLC v. Medtronic CoreValve LLC et al., 1:20-cv-00361 (D. Del., filed March 13, 2020).

That's an enjoyable part of tech-heavy cases, Rayburn added. "I really enjoy beating self-proclaimed experts on the other side."

Rayburn also enjoys going on offense when possible. "Our client Jacuzzi got an assertion letter from a patent plaintiff claiming we infringed its bathroom remodel technique," she said. "Instead of getting into a back-and-forth over the matter, we surprised them by filing an action for declaratory judgment of non-infringement. We made a strategic pivot that changed the litigation playing field -- now the plaintiff is litigating on our terms." Jacuzzi Brands LLC et al. v. BCI Acrylic Inc., 8:24-cv-00674 (C.D. Cal., filed March 28, 2024).

-- John Roemer