Professional Details

Professional Details

Michael A. Hierl

Michael A. Hierl is a partner with Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. Mr. Hierl has practiced exclusively in the area of intellectual property law since 1980. He has considerable experience in a wide range of patent, trademark, unfair competition, copyright, trade secret and regulatory matters, and has successfully resolved numerous intellectual property disputes over the years, with and without litigation. He joined the firm in 2009.

Representative Matters

Experienced in counseling on the proper use and protection of trademarks and service marks, preparation of trademark availability opinions, prosecution of trademark applications to registration and trademark opposition practice.

Broad experience in the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications in various chemical, mechanical and electro-mechanical areas including reissue and reexamination practice.

Experienced in negotiating and preparing patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret license agreements and other technology related agreements, providing opinions on patent/trademark infringement and validity matters, counseling clients regarding infringement avoidance and advising on other intellectual property matters including management of IP portfolios.

Represented authors, publishers, songwriters, musicians and a music production company in copyright and contract matters. Copyright litigation has involved copyright infringement, title and damages issues.

Extensive litigation experience in patent, trademark, unfair competition, copyright and trade secret matters over 30 years of practice involving many technologies and disciplines.

Professional Recognition

  • AV rated™ by Martindale-Hubbell®
  • Leading Lawyer in Intellectual Property (2005-2011) by the Illinois Leading Lawyers Network, Law Bulletin Publishing Company

Memberships / Associations

Legal
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Illinois State Bar Association
  • Member, Chicago Bar Association
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • Member, International Trademark Association
Civic / Community
  • Board of Directors, Chicago Area Council-Boy Scouts of America
  • Member, National Eagle Scout Association

Related News

  • HSPRD intellectual property partners Michael Hierl and Todd Parkhurst explain the development of Super Glue. Read more.
  • The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, a newly enacted patent law, rewards race to the Patent Office. Read more.
  • HSPRD lawyer Michael A. Hierl recently completed the trademark registration process for a rebranding campaign by a major Chicago-area university.