Michael J. Femal

Michael J. Femal
Principal
Phone: 312.521.2768 vCard
Fax: 312.521.2868
mfemal@muchshelist.com

PRACTICE GROUP

AT WORK

Michael J. Femal, a Principal in the firm's Intellectual Property & Technology group, has nearly four decades of experience advising clients on all aspects of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition law and litigation. Michael regularly counsels clients in the evaluation, protection, procurement, and transfer of domestic and foreign IP rights, including the negotiation of licensing deals across the United States and in Asia, Europe and South America. He also frequently negotiates and drafts IP licenses, as well as joint venture, joint development, brand label and secrecy agreements. An experienced litigator, Michael represents clients in jury and non-jury court cases, mediation and arbitration, and regularly coordinates legal strategies in global IP disputes.

Michael also has significant experience in a broad range of general legal matters, including customs, anti-boycott, antitrust, distributor relations, recalls, product liability, real estate and construction issues. He regularly conducts IP due diligence for private equity groups, hedge funds, banks and other companies engaged in lending, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and other transactions in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

Trained as an electrical engineer prior to beginning his legal practice, Michael has significant experience with wireless communications systems, TDMA/FDMA/CDMA communications systems, A/D converters, embedded and application-level software, fiber optics, audio/visual display systems, signal compression and encoding standards, semiconductor manufacturing, microprocessor and ASIC-based industrial controls, AC inverters, factory automation controls, electrical distribution and power management equipment, and many other technologies. Before entering private practice, he served as Senior IP & Special Counsel for Square D Company/Schneider Electric S.A.

IN THE PROFESSION

Michael is an active member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Illinois Patent Law Association, the Chicago Bar Association and the Northwest Suburban Bar Association (Illinois).

IN THE COMMUNITY

Michael is a member of the Knights of Columbus and plays an active role in the Arlington Heights (Illinois) PAD Program.

BACKGROUND

Chicago-Kent College of Law
J.D., 1973

Marquette University
B.S.E.E., 1970

Michael is admitted to practice in Illinois and is admitted pro hac vice in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois and the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.