Our Team
CHRISTIAN J. SANCHELIMA
Chris Sanchelima is the Managing Partner of Sanchelima & Associates, P.A. and one of Florida’s top filers of intellectual property applications. Each year, he successfully obtains over 300 trademark registrations and more than 50 patents, and over the course of his career, he has filed hundreds of international applications for patents and trademarks. Chris has extensive experience in software, mechanical, electrical, and chemical inventions, helping innovators protect their technology and bring products to market.
As a Registered Patent Attorney, Chris represents clients in intellectual property litigation, having appeared in federal and state courts across Florida, New York, Texas, Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, and California. He has successfully handled jury trials, summary judgments, and numerous favorable settlements, avoiding costly litigation while achieving client objectives. At the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), he has prosecuted and defended opposition and cancellation proceedings, leveraging his experience on both sides of disputes to anticipate his opponents and outmaneuver them with creative negotiation tactics.
In addition to his legal practice, Chris served as a Professor at Florida International University College of Law, where he taught Patent Law and led a hands-on workshop training students on how to prepare and prosecute patent applications.
Beyond intellectual property, Chris has assisted dozens of clients with franchise disputes, franchise consulting, and franchise creation, as well as commercial litigation matters such as breach of contract and partnership disputes. He has also helped entrepreneurs incorporate businesses and frequently connects inventors with prototype developers to optimize their inventions and position them for success.
As a business owner himself, Chris takes a practical and results-driven approach, balancing aggressive advocacy with finesse to tailor strategies for each case. His ability to combine legal skill, engineering knowledge, and business insight has made him a trusted advisor to clients ranging from startups to established companies.
Chris is admitted to practice in Florida and before the United States Patent & Trademark Office. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Intellectual Property Law Association of South Florida, ASIPI, the Belen Alumni Lawyers Section, and INTA. He is fluent in English and Spanish and conversational in Portuguese.
📧 Contact Chris to discuss your case.
JESUS SANCHELIMA
As a Registered Patent Attorney Mr. Sanchelima founded the firm in 1977 as one of the first Hispanic Registered Patent Attorney in the United States. He earned his bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering with honors from the University of Florida and his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. He is admitted to the Florida Bar, the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the American Bar Association (ABA), the Inter-American Association of Industrial Property (ASIPI) and the International Trademark Association (INTA),
Author: Mr. Sanchelima has also written articles in the Trademark Reporter regarding Intellectual Property issues.
Professor: Adjunct Law School Professor at Florida International University
Languages: Spanish and English.
LIANY ESTEVEZ
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Chicago in 2013; earned her Juris Doctorate degree and graduated magna cum laude from Florida International University School of Law in 2020. She was admitted to practice by the Florida Bar and the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Florida, and is now a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and International Trademark Association (INTA).
She started working at SAPA in 2014 first as a legal assistant, primarily in the litigation department, she went through law clerk to associate attorney. In 2019 she volunteered for The Justice Collaborative where conducted legal research relating to criminal justice issues.
Liany Estevez is experienced in prosecuting mark applications with the United States Patent & Trademark Office, trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings before the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and intellectual property litigation in state and federal court.
She is fluent in English and Spanish.