Senior Trial Counsel
Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist
Michael Hopkins counts authors, artists, photographers, architects, designers, inventors, software developers, advertising agencies, corporations, businesses, and others as clients. Michael acts as lead counsel on all cases handled by IP-Lit. He has has been retained in over 800 lawsuits, and has tried in excess of 65 cases, with more than 50 of those to a jury.
Michael practices in courts throughout Wisconsin and in Federal Courts throughout the United States. He has briefed and argued numerous federal and state court appeals, and is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, which is accredited by the American Bar Association. Michael Hopkins is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, published by Martindale-Hubbell®. He has also achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s® coveted AV rating, which is based upon peer reviews submitted by judges and other lawyers.
In addition to obtaining a Juris Doctorate degree from Marquette University Law School, Michael earned an LL.M degree in intellectual property law, with honors, from The John Marshall Law School, Chicago.
Education
Carthage College, B.A., magna cum laude – 1978
Marquette University Law School, J.D. – 1981
John Marshall Law School, LL.M., Intellectual Property Law, with honors – 2000
Admissions
Bar Admissions:
- State of Wisconsin
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland
- United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Pro Hoc Vice Admissions:
- United States District Court for the District of Arizona
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- United States District Court for the District of Idaho
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Publications
When a Lack of Equivalence Can Still Be Equivalent: Litigating Infringement of Means Plus Function Claims, IDEA: The Journal of Law and Technology, Volume 40, No. 4 (2000), Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord, New Hampshire.
Software Licensing & Copyright Misuse, IPL Newsletter, American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law, Vol. 17, No. 4; Summer 1999
Resolving Coverage Disputes and the Duty of Defense: Perils & Pitfalls, Milwaukee Bar Association Messenger, March 1999.
Criminal Charges and the Professional Athlete: Responding to Pretrial Publicity, For The Record, The National Sports Law Institute, Marquette University Law School, Vol. 10, No. 4; Aug/Sept 1999
HEY, that’s mine! – When and why to register your copyright, Wisconsin Visual Artists Magazine, Quarter 2, June 2019
Presentations
Copyright Basics, Lorman Seminar, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2002
Introduction to Trademarks and Copyrights, Washington County Bar Association, West Bend, Wisconsin, February 2001
Basics of Trademark Litigation, Milwaukee Bar Association, February 2001.
Analyzing Claims of Copyright Infringement of Literary Works, CPI, Inc., May 2002.
Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
- Domnitz, Mawicke & Goisman, S.C.; April 2000
- Honorable Robert J. Parins Inns of Court, Green Bay, Wisconsin; September 2000
- Juneau County Bar Association, Mauston, Wisconsin; October 2000
- Lafayette County Bar Association, Darlington, Wisconsin; November 2001
- Appleton, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Janesville, LaCrosse, Sheboygan, and Waupaca, Wisconsin; Fall 2005
Intellectual Property Law Introduction & Overview
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin; October 2009
- Appleton, Wisconsin; November 2009
- Madison, Wisconsin; December 2009
Copyright for the Visual Artist, Wisconsin Visual Artists Association, Kimberly, Wisconsin; June 2019