DePaul University College of Law,
J.D., Dean's Scholar, 1993
Northwestern University,
B.S.E.E., 1986
Illinois
Illinois USDC, Northern District
Michigan USDC, Eastern District
Texas USDC, Eastern District
Wisconsin USDC, Eastern District
US Ct Appeals, 7th Circuit (Covers IL, IN, WI)
US Ct Appeals, 9th Circuit (AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, Guam, M. Isles)
US Ct Appeals, Federal Circuit
US Patent and Trademark Office
Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America", 2016-2023
Listed in "Illinois Super Lawyers" (by Thomson Reuters), 2013-2024
Thompson Coburn LLP
Partner, 2009-Present
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
January 2006 - September 2009
Tribune Company
Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property/Interactive
October 2000 - January 2006
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
September 1993 - October 2000
President's Council, Museum of Science & Industry
Board Member, Equip for Equality, Inc.
Michael counsels clients on patent and trademark issues and represents them in federal courts across the United States.
He has significant experience litigating patents in a wide variety of technical disciplines, and has successfully handled matters related to the litigation of complex electrical engineering and software based technologies such as mobile computing, cellular communications, global positioning, and interactive television applications.
He has litigated patents in numerous federal courts, including the Eastern District of Texas, District of Delaware and Northern District of Illinois.
Michael also has significant experience with patent reexaminations and with counseling clients on proposed technologies. On the trademark side, Michael's experience includes trademark clearance, as well as representing clients in trademark litigation and in adversarial proceedings within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Michael also has significant copyright and right of publicity experience, both on the litigation and counseling side. Michael is Technology Committee Chair of the Firm's AI Task Force.
Judge Rules AI-Generated Art Is Not Copyrightable
Intellectual property and other legal priorities during COVID-19
Participate in standard-setting bodies? The enforceability of your patents could be affected
Quoted, "IPO-bound Reddit discloses patent infringement complaint from Nokia,"
Reuters, March 19, 2024
"Litigation Amid a Cloud of Crisis: Aligning Legal Strategy with Reputation Management";
Association of Corporate Counsel Chicago, December 2015
ACC STL CLE: IP Issues with GenAI - Ownership and Enforcement
Association of Corporate Counsel, July 2024
Implications for Digital Lending and Copyright in Landmark Fair Use Case
Michael Parks Speaks to Bloomberg Law on News Outlets and AI
Thompson Coburn Shuts Down Fraudulent Website for Marymount California University
Michael Parks Speaks to Reuters on IPO-Bound Reddit’s Patent Dispute
Michael Parks Speaks on Key AI Trends for 2024
Summary judgment win for Canadian Standards Association
Thompson Coburn again named best copyright firm in the nation
New Thompson Coburn blog In Focus covers photo copyright cases
NOTICE.
Although we would like to hear from you, we cannot represent you until we know that
doing so will not create a conflict of interest. Also, we cannot treat unsolicited
information as confidential. Accordingly, please do not send us any information
about any matter that may involve you until you receive a written statement from
us that we represent you (an ‘engagement letter’).
By clicking the ‘ACCEPT’ button, you agree that we may review any information you transmit to us. You recognize that our review of your information, even if you submitted it in a good faith effort to retain us, and, further, even if you consider it confidential, does not preclude us from representing another client directly adverse to you, even in a matter where that information could and will be used against you. Please click the ‘ACCEPT’ button if you understand and accept the foregoing statement and wish to proceed.