Michael Reeder has spent his career honing his skills in the courtroom, with lead roles in all phases of litigation in both federal and state courts across the nation.
Michael has represented all types of companies in litigation and commercial transactions, ranging from start-up GPS navigation companies in Silicon Valley, dairy breeders in Iowa, telecommunications companies in Washington and New York, and energy companies in Houston.
He understands, however, that his clients’ objectives are often handled best through agreement without court intervention, and Michael is known for his calm demeanor and strong advocacy both in and out of the courtroom.
He uses his electrical engineering background to understand technologies in a broad array of industries covering oilfield services technologies, electronics and software, microprocessor systems and architectures, and biomedical and life sciences.
Michael spent more than a decade at the international law firm of Akin Gump, where he was actively involved in providing pro bono legal services, and he continues to cultivate a culture of excellence in serving pro bono clients. Michael was recognized by the Asian Law Caucus for his work in representing an immigrant from Sri Lanka who sought asylum in the United States because of life-threatening torture from guerrilla organizations and the Sri Lankan government.
Over the years, Michael has built a reputation as a principled and dedicated litigator on behalf of his clients.
Listed below is a representative sample of Michael’s engagements, which range from business disputes to a wide variety of intellectual property matters:
- Successfully represented a world leader in the field of bovine genetics in a high-stakes case against a new competitor involving claims of breach of contract, fraud, and misappropriation of trade secrets in several parallel litigations and arbitrations.
- Secured a complete victory for a global client as the plaintiff in a patent case involving electrical cables where the competitor settled and agreed to stop importing its product.
- Successfully represented a GPS navigation company in multiple patent infringement cases relating to traffic information, routing, and dispatch controls.
- Won summary judgement for one of the world’s largest wireless carriers in the first serious challenge to the company’s use of LTE technology. Led the day-to-day operations of the case and obtained a summary judgment of noninfringement that ended three separate waves of litigation brought by the plaintiff.
- Won a post-trial summary judgment of invalidity for an oilfield services client against patent infringement claims by a competitor regarding oilfield tools technology.
- Successfully defended a publicly traded provider of loyalty and marketing services by developing solid noninfringement and invalidity defenses that allowed the company to further its Internet advertising business.
Pro Bono Lead Counsel Representations Include:
- As lead trial counsel, achieved an acquittal jury verdict for a client in a misdemeanor criminal trial.
- Secured a grant of asylum for a Nigerian client on claims of LGBTQ discrimination.
- Won an asylum case in immigration court for an Eritrean client on claims of religious persecution.
Michael has handled disputes in a wide array of industries and technologies, including:
Energy
- Oilfield services
- Link tilt systems
- Drilling pipe and connections
- Downhole sensors
Telecommunications and Communications
- 2G, 3G, 4G LTE telecommunications standards
- Handover technology
- Backend network server, router, switch, and gateway technologies
- Content management systems
- Video and audio compression
- Network security and firewall technologies
Electronics
- Wi-Fi technology, functionality, and standards
- GPS technology
- Chip set and baseband functionality
- Television broadcast and cable display technology
- Wireless routing and authentication
- Mobile phone functionality
Life Sciences
- Genetics
- Named to the list of Texas Super Lawyers, 2021-2022.
- Ranked by The Best Lawyers in America© (Woodward/White, Inc.), 2023-2024.
- Named to Inaugural list of Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America.
- Named to the list of Texas Rising Stars, 2016-2019.
- Received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for pro bono practice, 2010.
- Houston Bar Association, Professionalism Committee
- Texas Bar Foundation Fellow
- Director, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
- Treasurer, AVOW
- Nancy Atlas Houston IP Inn of Court
- University of Texas at Austin, B.S.E.E., 2005
- University of Texas School of Law, J.D. with honors, 2009
- Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals – Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court – Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern Districts of Texas