Atty. Patrick Michael
Patrick Michael is a trial lawyer who litigates intellectual property and technology cases, including patent infringement actions, trade secret disputes, copyright matters, and licensing conflicts, for both plaintiffs and defendants. He handles matters involving a wide range of technologies, including integrated circuits, electronic design automation, software, semiconductor fabrication processes/tools, computer networking, medical devices, and biotech and life science products.
Intellectual Property & Technology & More Attorney · Serving San Francisco, CA
Profile Summary
About Patrick Michael at a Glance
Patrick Michael is a Shareholder based in San Francisco, California, practicing at Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Their practice focuses on ip and trade secrets. Educated at Pepperdine University School of Law (J.D., 1993) and University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A. Business, 1989). Serves clients in San Francisco, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Patrick Michael
- Patrick Michael is a trial lawyer who litigates intellectual property and technology cases, including patent infringement actions, trade secret disputes, copyright matters, and licensing conflicts, for both plaintiffs and defendants
- He handles matters involving a wide range of technologies, including integrated circuits, electronic design automation, software, semiconductor fabrication processes/tools, computer networking, medical devices, and biotech and life science products
- Patrick has first-chaired multiple high-stakes trials and international arbitrations, representing major technology companies in patent, copyright, and trade secret litigation throughout the United States
- Patrick handles cases involving semiconductor technologies, EDA place-and-route technology, vulnerability databases, virtual storage platforms, fiber optic cable technologies, FPGA technologies, integrated circuit testing, clock synthesizer technology, proprietary database structures, plasma etch reactors, protocol analyzer technologies, and optical endpoint detection systems
- Experience Representative Matters • Obtained plaintiff judgment for major software company after bench trial on defendant’s claims of equitable estoppel in competitor case involving EDA place-and-route technology.° • Obtained plaintiff award for major EDA company after international arbitration on defendant’s claims of a license defense in competitor patent infringement action.° • Obtained unanimous defense verdict for national laboratory after a three-week jury trial in a trade secret misappropriation action involving nanotechnology for use in inertial confinement fusion.° • Obtained plaintiff award for medical device company in a trade secret misappropriation international arbitration involving devices for hand assisted laparoscopic surgery.° • Represented major EDA company in competitor multipatent infringement action involving semiconductor place-and-route technology.° • Represented major software company in competitor patent infringement, copyright infringement, and breach of contract action involving EDA and semiconductor IP technologies.° • Represented major software company in multivenue competitor actions for alleged trade secret misappropriation and various contractual claims relating to software security technologies.° • Won summary judgment of no trade secret misappropriation on eve of trial for major software company in competitor case involving vulnerability databases and related technologies.° • Represented international data storage company in defense of multiple claims arising from major data center outage related to virtual storage platform and fiber optic cable technologies.° • Won summary judgment and excluded plaintiff’s expert on eve of trial for semiconductor company in patent infringement action involving FPGA technologies, which ended multidistrict litigation battle.° • Obtained defense judgment for semiconductor company in patent infringement action involving integrated circuit testing technology, which was affirmed on appeal by the U.S
- Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.° • Represented large semiconductor company and obtained multiple victories in patent infringement action, including at the U.S
- Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, resulting in a royalty free CNS.° • Represented semiconductor company in defense of patent infringement case involving clock synthesizer technology and on Federal Circuit appeal affirming all claims as unpatentable.° • Obtained judgment and injunction for large internet company in multivenue patent infringement and trade secret actions involving proprietary database structures and technologies.° • Represented semiconductor manufacturing equipment company in assertion of patent infringement action involving technologies for plasma etch reactors.° • Obtained TRO, seizure order, and injunction for hardware company in direct competitor action for trade secret misappropriation involving protocol analyzer technologies.° • Represented semiconductor manufacturing equipment company in enforcing patents and in defense of action for inventorship involving optical endpoint detection systems.° • Obtained plaintiff verdict of $30.4 million for a major software company after three-week jury trial in a competitor copyright and patent infringement case involving EDA place-and-route technology.° • Obtained defense award for biopharma client in an international arbitration on a patent license and trade secret dispute involving drug discovery technology in which plaintiff sought $500m in damages.° °The above representations were handled by Mr. Michael prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Recognition & Leadership Awards & Accolades • Recognized, Acritas Stars, Acritas Stars Independently Rated Lawyers, 2020 • Listed, The Legal 500 United States, Intellectual Property: Patents: Litigation, 2020 • Listed, Daily Journal, Top Intellectual Property Lawyers in California, 2017 • Recognized, Legal Services for Children, Pro Bono Advocate Award Professional & Community Involvement • Member, California Bar Association o Member, Business Law Section o Member, Intellectual Property Law Section • Member, American Bar Association • Member, San Francisco Bar Association • Member, Intellectual Property Law Association
Practice Areas Explained
Patrick Michael's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Patrick Michael handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in San Francisco.
Intellectual Property in San Francisco
IP attorneys protect inventions, brands, and creative work through patent prosecution, trademark registration, copyright, and trade-secret enforcement.
Patrick Michael is one of 105,285 ip attorneys indexed nationally. Browse ip attorneys in California →
Trade Secrets in San Francisco
Patrick Michael is one of 6,604 trade secrets attorneys indexed nationally. Browse trade secrets attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in San Francisco
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in San Francisco are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
San Francisco Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a San Francisco-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in San Francisco or all attorneys in California.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in San Francisco Choose Patrick Michael
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Patrick Michael's practice in the field of ip and trade secrets.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering ip and trade secrets, Patrick Michael can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in San Francisco
A San Francisco-based practice means Patrick Michael attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues Patrick Michael Handles in San Francisco
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters Patrick Michael has experience with under California law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact Patrick Michael directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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Patrick Michael's Practice Areas & Specializations
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