Michael Houston

Michael R. Houston is a prominent patent litigation partner at Foley & Lardner LLP, where he leads the firm's Patent Office Trials Practice. His practice spans a wide array of intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement and trade secret cases, as well as challenges before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and investigations before the International Trade Commission (ITC). Houston's deep technical expertise, informed by his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and experience as a named inventor on over 40 patents, encompasses diverse fields such as electronics, microelectronics, packaging, chemistry, biotechnology, nanotechnology, optics, polymer processing, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). He has handled patent disputes involving pharmaceuticals (including ANDA litigation), medical devices, solar panels, semiconductors, complex mechanical devices, and biorenewable fuels, aligning with his involvement in the firm's Chemical, Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical, Health Care & Life Sciences, and Energy sectors.

While his tracked case appearances show a focus on defendant-side representation, such as in Generac Power Systems, Inc., et al. v. Unknown Patent Owner, Houston's broader practice includes both prosecuting and defending various intellectual property matters.

Houston is particularly recognized for his extensive experience before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where his practice encompasses inter partes reviews (IPRs), post-grant reviews (PGRs), and derivation (DER) proceedings. He has achieved notable success in PTAB proceedings, earning recognition from Patexia as a Top-5 Best Performing Attorney for IPRs. He has also authored articles concerning PTAB practices.

He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law, his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, and his B.S., summa cum laude, from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the Federal Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, numerous other U.S. District Courts, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.