Firm
Services
Professionals
Resources
Careers
Print EmailText:SmallMediumLarge

Michael S. Connor

Partner

Mike Connor co-chairs the firm’s overall Intellectual Property Practice Area and is a past chair of the IP Litigation Group. He handles patent infringement and other IP litigation matters.

Mike has handled intellectual property disputes in technologies such as cardiovascular implants, mobile telephone networks, debit card processing, financial services, diagnostic imaging, electronic music downloads, robotics, textile machinery, orthopedics, consumer electronics, electric power systems, RFID and semiconductor manufacturing. He has led trial teams in federal courts across the United States and before the United States International Trade Commission, and has argued appeals at the Federal Circuit and regional circuit courts.

He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America – Intellectual Property Law for 2012, in Charlotte Magazine’s Top Attorneys in North Carolina February 2012 edition, as the 2010 and 2011 North Carolina Legal Elite, and is listed in the international Legal 500 for IP Litigation and Intellectual Property Law.

Representative Experience

  • Global-Tech Appliances v. SEB S.A., Case No. 10-6 at the United States Supreme Court: Brief of Amicus Curiae; The Clearing House and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, December 6, 2010.
  •  Lead counsel for defendants in patent infringement case concerning mobile telephone networks in 2010. Celltrace LLC v. Sprint Nextel et al. (E.D.Tx)
  • Lead trial counsel for the defendant in an infringement suit in the Northern District of California concerning metallurgical properties of minimally invasive cardiovascular implants. Mike and his team took over the case from another firm in the middle of discovery, developed a new defense and presented that defense in a bench trial held solely on that issue in December 2009. Before the court entered its judgment, the case was settled in early 2010. Medtronic, Inc. v. AGA Medical, Inc. (N.D.Ca.).
  • Defended a maker of medical injector pumps against a motion for preliminary injunction in 2010. Mallinckrodt Inc. v. E-Z-Em Co. et al. (D.Del.)
  • Defended the maker of RF ID printers in a patent infringement suit in 2010. Raylon v Zebra, Inc. (E.D.Tx.)
  • Defense counsel for a Korean company in a patent infringement suit concerning components for medical x-ray machines in 2010. Sedecal v DRGEM Corp. (S.D. Fla. and W.D.N.C.)
  • Defense counsel for a major bank in a patent infringement suit in 2010. Phoenix v. BB&T Corp. (E.D.Tx.)
  • Counsel for the defendant in an infringement suit concerning a patent for “Funds Distribution System Connected with Point of Sale Transactions.” The court granted summary judgment of noninfringement. Every Penny Counts, Inc. v. First Data Corp. et al. (M.D. Fl.) Affirmed on appeal by the Federal Circuit. (Fed. Circ. (M.D. Fl.) No. 2008-1434). The U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari, thus ending the case in our client’s favor.
  • Counsel for the defendant in a patent infringement suit and a related International Trade Commission Section 337 investigation concerning nitrile gloves. Tillotson Corp. v. Cardinal Health, Inc. (N.D.Ga. and U.S. I.T.C.).
  • Counsel for a patentee concerning infringement of patents for medical ultrasound imaging equipment. Volumetrics Medical Imaging, LLC v. General Electric and related cases (M.D.N.C. and N.D.Ca.).
  • Counsel for the plaintiff in cases concerning Internet-linking technology. Picture Patents v. Aeropostale, et al. (S.D.N.Y.)
  • Counsel for the plaintiff in cases concerning dental appliances. Medtech Products, Inc. v. Ranir LLC et al. (S.D.N.Y.)
  • Counsel for a patent exclusive licensee in an infringement suit concerning orthopedic devices. Banyan LC v Collections, Inc., et al. (S.D. Fla.)
  • Lead counsel for the defendant Lowe’s concerning alleged infringement of a patent for a “merchant specific debit card verification system.” The court entered judgment of non-infringement in Lowe’s favor, and the Federal Circuit affirmed in 2008. Realsource, Inc. v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., et al. (W.D. Tx., and Fed. Cir.)
  • Counsel for the defendant concerning patents for automated call center systems. RAKTL v. Duke Energy et al. (D.Del.)
  • Counsel for defendant accused of infringing patents for bulk dispensing closure device. The district court entered a judgment of non-infringement in favor of our client and the Court of Appeals affirmed in 2008. Spiroflow Systems v. Flexicon, Inc. (W.D.N.C. and Fed. Cir.)
  • Counsel for the defendant in a patent infringement claim concerning mobile telephony. Thomas v. Nokia Inc. et al. (W.D.N.C.)
  • Lead counsel for the plaintiff in a declaratory judgment action concerning a patent for RFID technology. Zebra Technologies Corp. v. Datacard Corp. (N.D. Il.).
  • Counsel for the plaintiff concerning the infringement of patents for automated paint control systems. Dürr Systems, Inc. v. Fanuc Limited (E.D. Mi.)
  • Trial counsel for the respondents in this case for alleged infringement of patents for electric robots. The case was tried in September 2005. In February 2006, the ITC issued a Final Determination holding that our clients did not infringe. In re Certain Electric Robots and Components Thereof (U.S. ITC and E.D. Mi.; Fed. Cir.)
  • Lead counsel for the defendant. In January 2005, the court granted summary judgment that our client’s accused product did not infringe. Swimways v. Overbreak (E.D. Va.)
  • Lead trial counsel for the respondents concerning gas powered electromechanical fluid systems. Following a trial in June 2004, the ALJ ruled that our client’s products did not infringe. American Biophysics Corp. v. Blue Rhino/Ferrelgas (U.S. ITC and D. R.I.).
  • Trial counsel for the plaintiff in this case for unfair and deceptive trade practices concerning cardiac ultrasound imaging technology. After a two-week jury trial, the court awarded a judgment for $318.75 million in favor of our client. VMI v. ATL Ultrasound, Inc. (M.D.N.C.).
  • Lead counsel for the plaintiff in actions concerning a patent for an orthopedic device. Obtained summary judgments of infringement and patent validity. Banyan Licensing v. OrthoSupport, TempurPedic, et al. (M.D.Fl., N.D.Oh. and other federal courts; Fed. Cir.) 134 F.Supp.2d 903. Affirmed on appeal. 2002 U.S.App. LEXIS 4983.
  • Patent litigation counsel for a subsidiary of media giant Bertelsmann AG against claims for patent infringement concerning Internet music downloading. Sightsound v. NTK and CDNow (W.D. Pa.)
  • Counsel for the defendant in this case for alleged infringement of three patents concerning robots. FANUC Robotics America v. Behr Systems et al. (E.D.Mi.)
  • Counsel for the defendant concerning a patent for semiconductor manufacturing. The case was settled following our filing of a motion for summary judgment. HDL, Inc. v. Shin-Etsu Handotai America, Inc. (D.Or.)
  • Lead counsel for the defendant concerning alleged infringement of patents relating to breathable polyolefin film and nonwoven composites. The plaintiff’s claim was dismissed. Kimberly-Clark Corp. v. Clopay and Kappler USA, Inc. (D.Del.)
  • Lead counsel for the plaintiff in this infringement suit relating to spread spectrum multiplexing in electronic brake systems. Vehicle Enhancement Systems, Inc. v. Intellon Corp. (D.S.C.)
  • Defended Tripath in patent, antitrust and Lanham Act cases relating to cervical cancer screening systems and cell preservative fluids. Cytyc, Inc. v. TriPath, Inc. (D. Del., D. Mass.)
  • Successfully defended accused infringers in an international case involving patent infringement and antitrust claims. Groz-Beckert KG v. Fukuhara Indus. & Trading (S.D.N.Y.; Fed. Cir.)
  • Represented the plaintiff in a patent infringement case concerning coaxial cable technology. Comm Scope v. Trilogy Inc. (D.N.J.)
  • Counsel for the plaintiff concerning the infringement of a patent for a golf ball imaging system. Accu-Sport International, Inc. v. Swing Dynamics (M.D.N.C.)
  • Counsel for the defendant in a case for alleged unfair and deceptive trade practices and other claims concerning computer software. Kaplan Inc. v. Revere Group (M.D.N.C.)
  • Defended patent infringement claims concerning optical fiber connectors. ADC Telecom v. Siecor (W.D.N.C.)
  • Counsel for the plaintiff in infringement action concerning three patents for television set top boxes. Superguide v. EchoStar and DirecTV (W.D.N.C.)
  • Counsel for the plaintiff in this case for asphalt compactor systems. Troxler v. Pine (E.D.N.C.)
  • Counsel for the defendant in this case for patent infringement concerning kerosene heaters. Sengoku Works v. Lowe's (C.D.Ca.)
  • Counsel for the defendant in a case concerning web technology. Keithly v. Homestore.com, Inc. (N.D.Ca.)


Related News
September 12, 2011
121 Alston & Bird Attorneys Named 2012 Best Lawyers
Spring 2011
Business in the U.S.
January 21, 2009
Best Lawyers in America 2009 Lists 120 Alston & Bird Lawyers
Read More
Related Events
December 1, 2010
AUTM-BIO Bayh-Dole 30th Anniversary Event
November 18, 2010
Comparative Seminar on IP Litigation in the United States, European Union, Japan and China
September 23, 2010
Financial 411: Business Method Patents After Bilski
View All Related Events
Publications
April 2009
"Patent Trolls," The Lawyers, April 2009.
2008
"Patent Litigation: A Defendant's Checklist," Patents in the USA 2008, 2008.
March 2007
"Business Method Patents," Charlotte Business Journal, March 2007.
Read More

Michael S. Connor

Bank of America Plaza
101 South Tryon Street
Suite 4000
Charlotte, NC 28280-4000
Phone: 704-444-1022
Other: 704-277-8588
Fax: 704-444-1752

The Atlantic Building
950 F Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004-1404

Services

Education

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    (J.D., 1987)
  • Clemson University
    (B.S.M.E., 1984)

Admitted to Practice

  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  • North Carolina
Attorney Advertising - Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.