Mike Caywood

Mike Caywood is a seasoned in-house patent litigation attorney, currently serving as Senior Director and IP Counsel at GlobalFoundries, a leading American semiconductor manufacturer, a role he has held since March 2009. His practice focuses on the complex technology area of semiconductors, including manufacturing process technologies, FinFET process patents, and semiconductor chip design. Prior to joining GlobalFoundries, Mr. Caywood was a Director at Advanced Micro Devices Inc. from 2000 to 2009, and an Associate at Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP from 1996 to 2000.

In his current in-house capacity, Mr. Caywood primarily represents GlobalFoundries, an operating company, on both the plaintiff and defendant sides of patent disputes. He has been involved in significant plaintiff-side litigation, such as GlobalFoundries' recent multiple lawsuits against Tower Semiconductor in March 2026, alleging infringement of 11 U.S. patents related to high-performance manufacturing technologies critical to smart mobile, automotive, aerospace, and communications infrastructure. These actions seek injunctive relief and damages for lost profits.

On the defense side, Mr. Caywood's work includes GlobalFoundries' involvement in a patent infringement case brought by Katana Silicon Technologies LLC, which resulted in a $9.2 million jury verdict against GlobalFoundries for infringement of one FinFET process patent claim in July 2025, though other asserted claims were found not infringed or dismissed. Additionally, GlobalFoundries secured a Federal Circuit appellate victory in February 2026 in a case against Oasis Tooling Inc., affirming that the asserted semiconductor chip design patents were directed to an abstract idea. While direct evidence of his regular appearance in PTAB/IPR proceedings was not found, GlobalFoundries' extensive patent portfolio and active litigation history suggest such proceedings are likely part of their broader IP strategy.

Mr. Caywood holds a Juris Doctor degree in Intellectual Property from The University of Texas School of Law (1991-1994) and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin (1982-1987).