Patent, trademark solutions that align with the business needs of clients
Michael Curley is a registered patent attorney and intellectual property (IP) generalist who helps clients secure and defend patent and trademark rights. He works with businesses of all sizes to protect their brands and inventions through obtaining trademark registrations and patents, and by shutting down infringers. Michael represents a wide variety of clients, including:
- Individual inventors and small technology companies
- Clients in the optics, cryptography and firearms spaces
- Companies interested in securing exclusive rights to their brand
Michael is a life-long Arizonan with 20 years of legal experience who prides himself on providing counseling and solutions that align with the business needs of his clients. As a former optical engineer with defense industry experience, Michael has developed a particular focus representing clients in the optics and firearms spaces.
Experience in Action
- Prepares and prosecutes patent applications, focusing on inventions relating to optics, solar energy, wireless communications and firearms.
- Invalidates and defends patents in post-grant proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB), from petition to final oral argument and through appeal to the federal circuit.
- Helps clients build and defend their business brands through trademark clearance, registration and enforcement.
- Opposes and defends trademark registration in opposition and cancellation proceedings before the USPTO's Trademark Trial and Appeals Board (TTAB).
Successes
- Successfully invalidated an LED lighting patent being asserted by a non-practicing entity (NPE) against a global lighting company.
- Obtained a preliminary injunction in Arizona Superior Court stopping a competitor from using a client's business name.
- Won dismissal of a trademark infringement matter on jurisdictional grounds.
- Favorably resolved trademark infringement matter on behalf of a major public university.
- Obtained a favorable claim construction ruling in a chemical patent infringement case, ultimately supporting a successful motion for summary judgment.
Capabilities
Professional Recognitions
- Southern Arizona Legal Aid "Volunteer Lawyers Program Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney" (2012)
- Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "40 Under 40" (2012)
Professional & Civic Activities
- Adjunct professor, Trademarks and Unfair Competition, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (2012)
- State Bar of Arizona, Business Law Section, secretary
News & Insights
Education
- UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2003)
- The University of Arizona (B.A. and B.S., cum laude, 1997)
- Philosophy, Optical Engineering
Bar Admissions
- Arizona
- California
Court Admissions
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, District of Utah