Robert P. Michal

Robert P. Michal, a registered U.S. Patent Attorney, counsels domestic and international clients, and handles their most important Intellectual Property (IP) matters. Clients engage Robert because of his technical background and knowledge, his superb IP skills, and his in-depth understanding of their business goals and risks.

Robert is well-known around the world for his hallmark style of client advocacy, which is based upon decades of experience practicing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It is aptly named Proactive Prosecution, which is a unique combination of activist and strategic representation utilizing the beneficial programs afforded by the USPTO (but rarely used by other practitioners) that expedites timelines, optimizes results, and drastically reduces client costs.  Notably, Robert built the world’s fourth (4^th) largest mobile advertising patent portfolio in just four (4) years utilizing Proactive Prosecution leading to the sale of the portfolio to a global technology giant.

Robert frequently travels to meet with his clients whether they be domestic, or international, to advise them regarding the latest USPTO developments and U.S. federal court decisions that may impact (positively or adversely) their U.S. IP portfolio building strategy, and/or U.S. IP enforcement programs. He lectures extensively at U.S. embassies and consulates, professional organizations, influential trade associations, and bar associations around the world.

Robert focuses his practice on IP rights (patent, trademark and copyright) procurement, strategically building and managing global IP portfolios, IP licensing, technology transfer, due diligence investigations, validity investigations, clearance investigations, and infringement evaluations. He also represents clients in proceedings before the USPTO, including inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), covered business method patent review (CBM), contentious re-examinations, and trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings.

Robert’s technical and legal expertise covers numerous areas of technology including electrical and computer engineering, computer hardware and software, internet and business methods, artificial intelligence, communication networks and architectures, base stations and mobile devices, telecommunication systems including next generation networks and standard essential patents (SEPs) under the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), aerospace, autonomous vehicles, data storage systems and devices, printing systems, process engineering, energy technology, power systems, agriculture and building equipment, sporting goods, medical devices, cryogenic systems, wood processing, consumer electronics and products, semiconductor electronics and manufacturing, nanotechnology, physics, optics, measuring technology, radio-frequency (RF) and microwave components and systems, mining and related processing methods, green technology, food chemistry and related methods, biotechnology, metallurgy and material science, stainless steel manufacturing, automation and robotics, mechanics, and fintech.