Christopher Borders focuses his practice in both the analysis and litigation of complex insurance coverage matters, and in defending large and small companies in commercial litigation. His litigation practice includes disputes involving employment, professional liability, construction defect, as well as insurance coverage claims under primary, excess, umbrella, specialty and other coverages. He also has substantial experience with toxic tort and bad faith matters.
As a former general counsel for a public technology company as well as for a venture-backed software company, Mr. Borders also represents business clients in business contracts, marketing and promotion law, trademark and copyright applications and other business matters.
Mr. Borders joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in December 2005. Previously he was a partner with Rivkin Radler LLP/McMillan & Shureen LLP in
Santa Rosa for 11 years. He left the firm from 2000 to 2003 to serve as General Counsel for Appiant Technologies, a public telecom and Voice over Internet Protocol service provider in
Pleasanton, and Mobshop, Inc., a venture capital-backed software company in
San Francisco.
Early in his career, Mr. Borders was also an attorney in the
San Francisco offices of Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger, and Long & Levit.
Mr. Borders is active in a number of professional organizations, including the California State Bar Association, where he is a member of the Litigation Section. He is also a member of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco. Mr. Borders is a past Secretary of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel.
Mr. Borders' publications and presentations include:
- "Recover and Rebuild, Part One: Identifying and Engaging Other Insurers,” Hinshaw’s 2011 Insurance Services Symposium, Chicago, Illinois, October 2011.
- “Key Insurance Coverage Issues,” HB Litigation conference “Challenging Times in Construction Litigation – Handling Claims in a Recessionary Economy,” Los Angeles, California, November 2009.
- “Chinese Drywall – Insurance Coverage Nightmare,” HB Litigation Conference, San Francisco, California, July 2009.
- “Placing Blame: the Effect of Adverse Economic Conditions on Liability Claims – Subprime and Beyond – Who Will Get Sued and for What?” Hinshaw’s 2008 Insurance Services Symposium “The Industry Responds to the Economic Storm,” Chicago, Illinois, October 2008.
- “Promotion and Marketing Law Review,” Harpo, Inc. and LexisNexis, Chicago, Illinois, September 2008.
- “Commercial General Liability and Professional Liability,” Hinshaw’s 2007 Insurance Services Symposium “Evolution and Revolution: Specialty Lines Coverage 2008,” Chicago, Illinois, October 2007.
- “Own What You Use and Use What You Own,” presentation, Intellectual Property Seminar Series, Sonoma County Bar Association / Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, 2003.
- “Responding to Patent Infringement Allegations,” co-author, published in the ACCA Docket, 20, No. 1 (2002).
- “Practical Advice for Managing Patent Infringement Lawsuits”, presentation and materials co-author, American Corporate Counsel Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2001.
- “The Business Side of Business Method Patents,” presentation, Patent Trademark Office and American Corporate Counsel Association Joint Seminar, USPTO Headquarters, VA, 2001.
- “Proper Use of Intellectual Property in Marketing”, presentation, Promotion Marketing Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 1999.
Mr. Borders is a past president of the Santa Rosa United Youth Soccer Club (Division 1 competitive) and a member of the Santa Rosa Youth Athletic Field Trust, and organization that develops and restores youth athletic fields
Mr. Borders has also been involved in other community organizations, including acting as Vice President of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Sonoma County.