My name is Michael Phipps. I am a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois. I am also sitting for the United States Patent & Trademark Office Registration Exam in July 2011 and the Texas State Bar Examination in February 2012. I am a recent graduate of The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois with experience in intellectual property law, business law, and real estate law. Prior to pursuing a law degree, I received my MBA with honors and worked for several years in a business and engineering setting.
I am currently working part-time for Howard B. Rockman, P.C., a small Intellectual Property law firm in Chicago. Working at this firm, I have written briefs and motions, drafted patent applications, responded to office actions, and managed patent portfolios. This position has been an excellent opportunity for me to hone my legal and business skills. I am also working for Business Logic Corporation, a software company in Chicago. Working as an independent contractor, I am reviewing documents for trade secret litigation.
In addition to my current positions, I worked as a legal research assistant for the Director of the Center of Intellectual Property Law at The John Marshall Law School where I synthesized raw data for an academic study of patent office filing frequencies. Additionally, I was a summer associate at Oliff & Berridge, PLC, in Alexandria, Virginia, where I prosecuted mechanical and electrical patent applications.
Before attending law school, I worked as an engineer for two of the largest HVAC corporations in the United States. I received my MBA with honors from The University of Texas at Dallas and my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University. While at Vanderbilt, I took classes studying internal combustion engine design as well as propulsion.
