Michael John Ballanco

Michael J. Ballanco is a Principal at Fish & Richardson, focusing his practice on patent litigation across various venues, including district courts, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, the International Trade Commission, and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). His work encompasses diverse electrical and computer technologies, including standard essential patents, software, internet, hardware, semiconductors, and telecommunications. He also possesses significant experience in the patent damages arena.

Mr. Ballanco primarily represents operating companies in patent disputes. While his tracked appearances include one instance on the plaintiff side for Uber Technologies, Inc. challenging a patent held by X One, Inc. at the Federal Circuit, this role aligns with defending an operating company's interests against patent assertions. He secured a precedential Federal Circuit victory for LG Electronics in August 2025, overturning a $14.3 million judgment and invalidating asserted patent claims related to display technology. Additionally, he successfully moved to exclude opposing damages experts for a large technology company, leading to the prevention of a trial and an affirmed decision on appeal to the Federal Circuit.

His experience extends to appellate advocacy, where he has briefed and argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Before joining Fish & Richardson, Mr. Ballanco served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Kara F. Stoll at the Federal Circuit from 2015 to 2017. He is recognized for his involvement in PTAB proceedings, as demonstrated by his representation of Uber in an inter partes review (IPR) that led to the Federal Circuit reversing the PTAB's decision on obviousness.

Mr. Ballanco earned his J.D. magna cum laude from George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School in 2014 and a B.S. cum laude in Computer Science with a concentration in Business from Lehigh University in 2008. He is admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia, as well as before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.