Michael friedland
Direct: 949 734 4491
Harvard Law School (J.D., 1991)
Managing Editor, Harvard Journal of Law and Technology
University of California at Berkeley (B.A. Economics, 1988)
Graduated with Honors and Distinction
Mike has three decades of IP enforcement experience. He has represented clients in more than 200 intellectual property cases in state and federal courts in California and 21 other states and before the Trademark Trials and Appeals Board.
Mike’s practice includes patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright cases. His cases have spanned a wide range of industries and technologies, including consumer products, semiconductors, tactical products, medical devices, computer software, apparel, restaurants, and financial services. He has represented brand-name companies including Oakley, Luxottica, Tesla, 5.11 Tactical, ITT, Makita, Pacific Life Insurance Company, Carl’s Jr., Microsemi, NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway, Game Show Network, Razor, Volcom, Specialized Bicycle, Mexicana Airlines, and SRS Labs, among others.
Mike was a partner at Knobbe Martens for more than two decades. At Knobbe, Mike served as co-chair of the Litigation Department. He had previously served as co-chair of the Trademark/Brand Protection group and the Consumer Products practice group.
World Trademark Review 1000 has named Mike a “Leading Trademark Lawyer” from 2020 through 2022. In the 2022 edition, WTR 1000 commended him for his “advanced state of preparedness,” and included a client remark that, “there’s nothing he hasn’t seen.” The 2021 edition described him as a “backbone of the litigation practice,” and noted his ability to litigate “cases associated with all categories of IP rights.” The 2020 edition described him as having been “on the cutting edge of enforcement for three decades.” In that edition, a client said he was “a sophisticated and thoughtful professional who understands how to get things done.” In 2023, Legal 500 named Mike to its list of preeminent patent litigators. Thompson/Reuters has regularly named him a “Southern California Super Lawyer” in the category of IP litigation since 2004.
He frequently speaks on intellectual property litigation subjects, including to the AIPLA, OCBA, OCIPLA, LAIPLA, ABA, ACC, INTA, Harvard Law School Association, Harvard Business School Association, MIT Alumni Association, and the Federalist Society. Mike’s articles on IP subjects have been featured in publications including IP Watchdog, Law 360, The Trademark Lawyer, The Los Angeles Daily Journal, The Recorder, ABA Landslide, Orange County Business Journal, Engage, and Stanford Technology Review.
Mike has taught as an adjunct professor at Whittier School of Law and served as a JAG with the California State Military Reserve. For 16 years, he served as a Reserve Deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, retiring as a Lieutenant. He is a member of Law360's Intellectual Property Editorial Board, the Harvard Law School Association’s Senior Advisory Committee, a former member and former Secretary of the Harvard Law School Association's Executive Committee, and a former president of the Harvard Law School Association of Orange County. Mike is a board member of the Federal Bar Association of Orange County and a member of the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society's Intellectual Property Practice Group.
Awards and Honors
Recognized by Legal 500 in Patent Litigation (2023)
"Leading Trademark Lawyer" by World Trademark Review 1000 (2020-2023)
"Super Lawyer" by Thompson/Reuters (2004-2021)
Top 50 Orange County "Super Lawyer" by Thompson/Reuters (2013)
Recent Publications
"IP Options to Protect Products in Fashion," American Marketer (October 2024)
"AI Can't Be an Inventor, but Can It Be a Patent Killer?" The Recorder and Law.com (June 2024)
"Is There Trademark Life After Copyright Death," Federal Bar Association/OC Newsletter (Spring 2024)
"Serving as a Sheriff's Deputy Made me a Better Lawyer," Law360 (April 2024).
"Copyright Fair Use and the Dark Knight," The Recorder (March 2024).
"What's a Mouse to Do? Trademark Lessons from the Expiration of the Copyright on the World's Most Famous Mouse," The Trademark Lawyer Magazine (March 2024)
"Questions to Ask to Avoid Exclusion of Trademark Surveys," IP Watchdog (August 2022)
"The Federal Circuit in July: A 'Prior Art' Decision to Know," Law360 (July 2022)
“Be Thorough and Creative in Selecting Experts in Trademark Cases,” the Daily Journal (July 2022)
“Best Practices for Using Experts in Trademark Litigation Before the TTAB and in Federal District Court,” AIPLA Spring Meeting Session Materials (2022)
“Choosing the Right IP to Protect Fashion Goods,” ABA Landslide (March/April 2022)
"Design Protection in the Fashion Industry: Design Patents, Trademarks, Trade Dress, and Copyright," AIPLA Design Rights Boot Camp Session Materials (July 2019)
"Design Protection in the Fashion Industry," Orange County Business Journal Intellectual Property Supplement (July 2019)
"The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 - New Federal Protection for Trade Secrets," Orange County Business Journal Intellectual Property Supplement (July 2016)
Recent Speeches and Seminars
Panelist, "Latest Issues in Trade Secret Litigation," Orange County Bar Association (2024)
Panelist, "Key Issues When Employees Leave: Complying with California's Non-Compete Laws While Protecting Trade Secrets," Orange County Bar Association (2024)
Moderator, "What Should the Role of the ITC be in Patent Cases?" Federalist Society Intellectual Property Practice Group webinar (2024)
Panelist, "Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property," Orange County Bar Association Artificial Intelligence Symposium (2024)
Panelist, "Vidal v. Elster: What are its Implications for Trademark Law and First Amendment Free Speech Protections?" FedSoc Courthouse Steps Decision Forum (2024)
Moderator, "Is Patent Eligibility Doctrine in Need of Reform?" Federalist Society Intellectual Property Practice Group (2024)
Panelist, "When Rights Collide: Law at the Intersection of the First Amendment, IP, and AI," Federalist Society Orange County Lawyers Chapter (2024)
Panelist, "IP, AI, and the First Amendment," Federalist Society Los Angeles Lawyers Chapter (2024)
Moderator, "IP Litigation in the Central District of California," Joint Meeting of the Harvard Law School Association of OC, Harvard Business School Association of OC, and MIT Alumni Association of OC (2023)
Panelist, "Design Patent Protection and Enforcement: What Every IP Practitioner Should Know," Orange County Bar Association IP & Technology Law Section (2023)
Panelist, “How Not to Lose the Privilege in Opinions, Prosecution, and Litigation,” Association of Corporate Counsel (2023)
Speaker, “Design Rights in Textiles and Clothing,” AIPLA Design Rights Boot Camp (2022)
Panelist, “Best of Trademarks: Best Cases, Best Practices, and Best Battles,” AIPLA Spring Meeting (2022)
Panelist, “Landslide Webinar Series: The Ins and Outs of IP Rights for the Fashion Industry,” American Bar Association (2022)
Panelist, "Will Trademarks Survive the Rise of the Machines?" Intellectual Property in a Digital World (2020)
Panelist, “Licensing Issues in Publicity and Related Rights,” Association of Corporate Counsel (2020)
Panelist, “Trade Secret Protection: Best Practices for Maintaining Your Company’s Secret Sauce as a Secret,” Association of Corporate Counsel (2019)
Panelist, "IP Law Strategies for Startups," Orange County Innovation Week (2019)
Speaker, “Design Rights in Textiles and Clothing,” AIPLA Design Rights Boot Camp (2019)
Moderator, "The Psychology of Mediating and Participating in Mediations," INTA Annual Meeting (2019)
Moderator, “Cracking the Code: Data Privacy and Cyber Security, the Latest Threats and How to Prepare,” Association for Corporate Growth (2019)
Speaker, "The Complex World of Data Privacy and Security in the Medical Space," DeviceAlliance Seminar (2018)
Speaker, "Data Privacy - What Keeps In-House Counsel Up at Night," Association of Corporate Counsel (2018)
Panelist, "Patent Venue: Fallout from TC Heartland v. Kraft Food," Intellectual Property Rights Practice Group Teleforum (2017)
Panelist, Fabric and Fashion Panel (Protecting Fashion After the Supreme Court's Decision in Star Athletica), AIPLA Spring Meeting (2017)