Charles L. Babcock, Jr.

Analyst Summary: Charles L. Babcock, Jr.

Charles L. “Chip” Babcock, Jr. is a nationally recognized trial and appellate partner at Jackson Walker LLP, where he has spent his entire career. While he is one of the country's most prominent attorneys for First Amendment, media, and "bet-the-company" commercial litigation, his direct involvement in patent litigation appears to be occasional and ancillary to his main practice. His firm biography includes intellectual property litigation among his practice areas, but his high-profile cases and public record are concentrated in media and commercial disputes.

Based on tracked appearances, Mr. Babcock’s patent litigation work has been for the defense. His single tracked case is an appearance as local counsel for the defendant, Cisco Systems, Inc., in Fleet Connect Solutions LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc. This defense-side role is consistent with his broader practice of representing large operating companies in high-stakes litigation. There is no indication from publicly available sources that he primarily represents plaintiffs or non-practicing entities in patent disputes.

Mr. Babcock is widely known for his successful defense of Oprah Winfrey in the 1998 "veggie libel" suit, and he has represented numerous other high-profile individuals and corporations in libel, defamation, and commercial cases. He has tried over 100 cases to a jury and argued over 50 appeals. However, there is no evidence of a regular practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) or a focus on IPR proceedings. His career highlights and accolades consistently emphasize his First Amendment and general commercial trial work.

Mr. Babcock earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his law degree from Boston University School of Law, where he was an editor of the law review. He has been with Jackson Walker for his entire career following a federal clerkship.