Overview
Michael D. Kaminski is a partner and intellectual property lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He has litigated, prosecuted and counseled clients primarily in the chemical, pharmaceutical and chemical engineering fields. Michael conducts "first chair" litigation in Federal District Court. He has been involved with ANDA litigations and other litigation ranging from pharmaceuticals (non-ANDA), LEDs, automotive safety devices, radiological contrast agents, paint spray booth additives and distillation column packing, to sports equipment and food technologies. He also has appellate court experience. Michael is a member of the firm's IP Litigation, Mechanical & Electromechanical Technologies, Chemical and Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Practices.
Michael is co-managing partner of the firm's Tokyo office. He was the IP Department's operations chair for a number of years, responsible for managing the department's support structure, best practices and quality assurance initiatives and training.
Prior to law school, Michael worked as a research chemical engineer for a major oil company and for a major chemical company.
Recognition
Michael has received recognition across leading publications and trade organizations including:
- Professional designation of "Master Advocate" by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA®)
- Peer Review Rated as AV Preeminent®, the highest performance rating in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM system, for 20 years including currently
- Named as a Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific (2020)
- Selected to appear in IP Stars from Managing IP (MIP) magazine for his intellectual property work in Japan since 2015 and in Washington, D.C. since 2014
- Recognized in the Chambers Global 2014 and 2015 guides for his extensive knowledge of US IP law and matters pertaining to the chemical, pharmaceutical and chemical engineering arenas and was praised for the skilled and experienced approach he takes to handling matters
- Recognized by The Legal 500 for his work in intellectual property in the area of international firms and joint ventures in Japan (2010, 2011) and in the area of corporate mergers & acquisitions: Japan: International firms and joint ventures (2011)
- Selected among America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® for Washington, D.C. (2019 - 2020)
Affiliations
Michael was on the board of directors of the AIPLA. He was an adjunct professor of law at The American University and also at George Mason University and Temple University (Tokyo) law schools. He has also taught at the John Marshall School of Law and the University of Michigan (at both undergraduate level and law school). He was chair of the American Chemical Society's Division of Chemistry and the Law and recipient of the ACS's Middlekauf Award. Mr. Kaminski was also selected as a Fellow of the AIPLA. In addition, he was an "Invited Research Scholar" at Japan’s Institute of Intellectual Property.
Thought Leadership
Michael has written over four dozen articles on patent prosecution and litigation. His articles have been published in such periodicals as Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society, Patent World, American University Law Review, and in AIPLA publications. Michael was on the editorial boards of the AIPLA Quarterly Journal, IP World, Patent World, and IP Strategy & Management, and has edited books on patent law. He also speaks frequently on patent litigation and patent law topics.
Education
Michael graduated from the University of Michigan (B.S., chemical engineering; B.S., chemistry; B.A., communications, all with high honors, 1982; J.D., cum laude, 1986). He served as executive editor of the Michigan Yearbook of International Legal Studies.
Admissions
Michael is admitted to practice in Illinois, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. District Court for the Districts of Nebraska, Connecticut and Northern Texas. He is also a member of the Trial Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.