OUR TEAM
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
ENERGY
TECHNOLOGY
MEDICAL
OUR MISSION
Saunders McKeon are your Houston-based experts in intellectual property law. We specialize in copyrights, licensing, litigation and appeals, patents/IPR, trademarks, and trade secrets. Clients can rely on our extensive knowledge to safeguard their business and resolve legal matters effectively.
JASON A. SAUNDERS
MANAGING PARTNER
Jason A. Saunders is a managing partner at Saunder McKeon PLLC and counsels clients in a wide variety of intellectual property matters, including: patent and trademark application prosecution and litigation, copyright registration and litigation, domain name disputes, M&A due diligence, and intellectual property strategy.
Mr. Saunders has focused on intellectual property over his entire legal career and has litigated patents in a wide variety of technical fields, including: simple consumer devices, broadcasting and RF engineering, chemical products, downhole tools, digital signal processing, digital encryption, computer hardware, vehicle navigation, and medical devices. In addition, he has worked in a variety of research and development environments such as university affiliated labs, independent research organizations, and technology start-ups.
Mr. Saunders studied Physics and Mathematics at Baylor University in Waco, Texas and Law at The University of Houston Law Center in Houston, Texas. He is licensed to practice before all Texas State Courts, The Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and The United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Mr. Saunders is a member of the American Bar Association, the Texas State Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association.
MEMBERSHIPS
- American Intellectual Property Law Association Member
- Houston Intellectual Property Law Association Member
- American Bar Association Member
ADMISSIONS
- Licensed to practice before all Texas state courts
- The Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Admitted to the United States District Court in the Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas and Federal Circuit
CHRISTOPHER P. MCKEON
MANAGING PARTNER
Christopher McKeon is a managing partner at Saunders McKeon PLLC and an officer of the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association. Christopher specializes in all aspects of intellectual property matters. He primarily counsels clients on patent litigation and prosecution, trademarks, and trade secrets.
Christopher manages global patent portfolios for established companies and start-ups. His litigation experience covers a wide variety of industries such as software, oilfield technology, and trade secret misappropriation. Mr. McKeon has participated in all phases of litigation including Inter Partes Review before the PTAB, trial, and appeals to the Federal Circuit. Mr. McKeon’s prosecution experience involves patents relating to mechanical, electrical, software, and chemical processes. Mr. McKeon has managed foreign prosecution of matters in over a dozen countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Mr. McKeon has a Bachelor’s of Science and Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a JD from the University of Houston.
MEMBERSHIPS
- Houston Intellectual Property Law Association – Secretary
- Nancy Atlas Inns of Court
ADMISSIONS
- Licensed to practice before all Texas state courts
- The Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- Admitted to the United States District Court in the Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas and Federal Circuit
GORDON T. ARNOLD
OF-COUNSEL
Gordon Arnold has over 30 years of experience in projects with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, as an entrepreneur, as an advocate, a mediator, and an arbitrator, and as President and Chair of multiple non-profit and bar associations. This history developed his leadership and persuasiveness skills to a very high level.
Mr. Arnold founded and managed his own practice, Arnold & Associates, in 1996. He operated the firm as it grew and evolved through 2022, when it held the name Arnold & Saunders. Mr. Arnold has successfully navigated his firm through the “dot.com bubble” collapse, the 2007-08 financial crisis, the flooding of Houston from Hurricane Harvey, and through the COVID-19 lockdown period. Over the years, he and his team represented a diverse range of clients, from startups to multinational corporations, and consistently delivered strategic solutions that safeguarded their client’s intellectual property assets – domestically and internationally.
Beyond projects for clients, Mr. Arnold has been a driving force in shaping intellectual propertypolicy. Throughout his career, he has participated in policy organizations and legislative initiatives, striving to create a fair and balanced intellectual property landscape. He is a Master of the American Inns of Court and a Past President of the Hon. Nancy Altas Intellectual Property Inn. He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Texas Bar Foundation, and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Among his extensive leadership positions, he has served as the Chair of the Section of Intellectual Property Section of the American Bar Association, President of the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association, Member of the Board of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, and President of the Christian Community Service Center.
He is licensed to practice before all Texas State Courts, The Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas, The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and The United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Mr. Arnold is Of Counsel for Saunders McKeon, continuing to deliver successful outcomes protecting the rights and assets of his clients.
Mr. Arnold has his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his JD from the University of Houston Law Center.
MEMBERSHIPS
- American Intellectual Property Law Association Member
- Houston Intellectual Property Law Association Member
- American Bar Association Member
- Silver Fox Advisors
ADMISSIONS
- Licensed to practice before all Texas state courts
- Federal District Courts, Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas
- The Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
DEVONNE BENA
OFFICE ADMINISTRATION
DeVonne has a proven track record of success in managing the day-to-day operations of the firm, including client relations, event planning, and administrative tasks. Her ability to work collaboratively with others has made her an invaluable member of the team.
DeVonne graduated from the University of Houston in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and a minor in English.
HOW WE DIFFER
Saunders McKeon PLLC differentiates itself by providing strategies using intellectual property to help clients reach their business goals, whether it’s to create or protect value, to mitigate risk, or provide pure business advantage.