Michael L. Jespersen

Mike Jespersen is an associate with Foley & Lardner LLP. He is a member of the firm’s Chemical, Biotech & Pharmaceutical Practice. Dr. Jespersen counsels clients across a broad range of technology sectors, including pharmaceuticals, energy, and chemistry and materials science. Representative technologies include pharmaceutical formulations, nanomaterials, fuel cells, batteries, carbon capture, semiconductor polishing, polymer formulations for the aerospace and rail industries, glasses, food production processes, and coatings.

In addition to handling all phases of patent drafting and U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, Dr. Jespersen is well-versed in providing opinions on patentability, invalidity, and freedom-to-operate.  Mike also works closely with clients to guide new product development with patent landscape analysis in mind.

Previously, Dr. Jespersen was a research chemist and National Research Council postdoctoral fellow at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, where he developed advanced materials concepts in surfaces and coatings, polymer nanocomposites, nanoelectronics, bionanomaterial hybrids, photovoltaics, and nanomaterials synthesis and characterization. Collectively, Mike has published over 20 articles and a book chapter covering a diverse range of nanomaterials and related technologies. Mike also was a law clerk and summer associate at Foley during law school.

Recognition

Most recently, Mike was recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the State Bar of Michigan for his pro bono work advising clients on patent and trademark matters.

At Michigan Law, Mike received the ABA-BNA Intellectual Property Law Award (2018). Previously, he received awards for Best Overall Performance and Best Appellate Brief in Legal Practice (2015 – 2016). Mike was a Darrow scholar at Michigan Law.

Education

Mike earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School (2018), where he was a contributing editor on the Michigan Law Review, a senior judge in the Legal Practice Program, and treasurer of the Intellectual Property Students Association. Mike earned his Ph.D. (2008) and M.S. (2004) in chemistry from the University of Oregon, where he was a National Science Foundation IGERT fellow. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming (B.S., cum laude, 2001).

Admissions

Mike is admitted to practice law in Michigan and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Publications

• M.L. Jespersen; J.P. Meara; G.E. Quillin, “Extending Cuozzo: Supreme Court Holds § 315(b) One-Year Time Bar Determinations Are ‘Final and Nonappealable,’ ” PTAB Trial Insights (April 2020)
• M.L. Jespersen, “One-Year Time Bar for IPR Filing Triggered Even When Served Complaint Is Voluntarily Dismissed,” PTAB Trial Insights (November 2018)
• M.L. Jespersen, “Inter Partes Review Appeals: The Federal Circuit’s Standing Requirement,” Dashboard Insights (August 2018)
• M.L. Jespersen; A. Jankowski, “Could the Flying Car Finally Take Off?” Dashboard Insights (July 2016)
• N.R. Glavin; M.L. Jespersen; M.H. Check; J.J. Hu; A.M. Hilton; T.S. Fisher; A.A. Voevodin. “Synthesis of Few-layer, Large Area Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Pulsed Laser Deposition,” Thin Solid Films 572: 245–250 (2014)
• M.D. Clark; M. L. Jespersen; R.J. Patel; B.J. Leever, “Ultra-thin Alumina Layer Encapsulation of Bulk Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaics for Enhanced Device Lifetime,” Organic Electronics 15(1): 1–8 (2014)
• M.L. Jespersen; P.A. Mirau; E.D. von Meerwall; H. Koerner; R.A. Vaia; R. Rodriguez; N.J. Fernandes; E.P. Giannelis, “Hierarchical Canopy Dynamics in Nanoscale Ionic Materials,” Macromolecules 46(24): 9669–9675 (2013)
• M.L. Jespersen; P.A. Mirau; E.D. von Meerwall; R.A. Vaia; R. Rodriguez; N.J. Fernandes; E.P. Giannelis, “NMR Characterization of Canopy Dynamics in Nanoscale Ionic Materials,” in NMR Spectroscopy of Polymers: Innovative Strategies for Complex Macromolecules; H.N. Cheng; T. Asakura; A.D. English, Eds.; ACS Symposium Series 1077; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, pp. 149–160 (2011)
• M.L. Jespersen; P.A. Mirau; E.D. von Meerwall; R.A. Vaia; R. Rodriguez; E.P. Giannelis, “Canopy Dynamics in Nanoscale Ionic Materials,” ACS Nano 4(7): 3735–3742 (2010)
• D.B. Ito; M.L. Jespersen; J.E. Hutchison, “Selective Growth of Vertical ZnO Nanowire Arrays Using Chemically Anchored Gold Nanoparticles,” ACS Nano 2(10): 2001–2006 (2008)
• M.L. Jespersen; C.E. Inman; G.J. Kearns; E.W. Foster; J.E. Hutchison, “Alkanephosphonates on Hafnium-Modified Gold: A New Class of Self-Assembled Organic Monolayers,” Journal of the American Chemical Society 129(10): 2803–2807 (2007)