Michael works with startups, universities and established companies across industries such as software design, computer technology, automotive manufacturing, medical devices, sporting goods, building products and financial services. With a deep understanding of patent prosecution, he has drafted and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications, particularly for software, complex electromechanical and mechanical innovations.
Michael advises clients on branding strategies, product naming and logo selection, as well as enforcing IP rights through litigation. He manages domestic and foreign trademark prosecution efforts and advises on copyright issues. A former software engineer, he brings a profound technical background to his practice, particularly surrounding the legal challenges intrinsic to software development.
Michael is a certified Black Duck Legal specialist with respect to open-source licenses. He routinely advises clients on strategies to mitigate the inadvertent disclosure of proprietary source code and to ensure compliance with open-source obligations, such as:
- Open-source risk management for software development and distribution
- Drafting and negotiating open-source specific contractual provisions with third-party developers and downstream customers
- Conducting open-source due diligence during mergers and acquisitions, including review and analysis of code scans to identify and assess potential compliance and licensing risks
He also has experience obtaining patents in these technologies:
- Software: Artificial intelligence-based systems (e.g., genAI, RAG systems, chatbots, computer vision); fintech (e.g., cryptography for secure transactions, cloud-based payment processing, blockchain consensus protocols); data center networking; antivirus; EMR systems.
- Automotive: Electric vehicles; EV charging; autonomous vehicle systems; upfit vehicles; wheelchair ramps; infotainment systems; hitch assemblies.
- Commercial and Consumer Products: Electronic beverage dispensers; smart rings, paintball markers; airsoft guns; firearms; audio systems; hydroponic gardening systems; lighting fixtures; automated musical instruments.
- Industrial: Pumping systems; refrigeration systems; surge suppression systems; electronic equipment failure monitoring systems; drogues for pipe inspections; wire manufacturing
- Building and Construction: Home automation systems; electronic locks; lock rekeying; padlocks; electronic faucets; hand tools.
Credentials
Education
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, B.S., computer engineering, 1994
- University of South Carolina, J.D., 1997
Bar Admissions
- Indiana
- South Carolina
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Court Admissions
- Indiana Supreme Court
- South Carolina Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana