Michael Dowd represents clients in commercial litigation, including disputes involving technology and patent litigation. He has helped clients assert patents and defend products involving a variety of applications, including e-commerce, electronics, software, mechanical systems and medical devices. As part of his trial work he has extensive experience working with technical personnel and experts in the fields of electronics, software, electrochemistry and economic analysis. Michael also undertakes litigation and client counseling that involves trade secrets, inventorship issues, software licensing disputes and legal opinions. Michael has a strong technical background and extensive litigation experience. He has handled litigation on behalf of companies working with software, semiconductors, Internet applications and power converters, as well as electrochemical blood testing and balloon catheters. Prior to attending law school, Michael worked for eight years as an electrical engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation as a member of advanced development groups focused on robotics and automation. While there he helped develop hardware and software for prototype automated manufacturing systems and received U.S. Patent No. 5,596,283 for a Continuous Motion Electrical Circuit Interconnect Test Method and Apparatus. Michael previously served as a Special Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County, Massachusetts, working as lead prosecutor in numerous jury and bench trials. Representative Experience The following is a brief summary of Michael's experience and accomplishments: · Represented an e-commerce service provider against claims of infringement involving the use of credit cards to make purchases over the Internet · Represented Lambda Electronics in defending one of a group of actions brought against leading manufacturers of DC-to-DC power converters; obtained a favorable claim construction ruling and successfully defended it on appeal, leading to a favorable settlement; VLT, Inc. v. Artesyn et al., 2004 U.S. App. Lexis 10188 (Fed. Cir.) · Defended the developer of an artificial human heart, Abiomed, Inc., in a patent and trade secret case involving the transmission of energy to the implanted device without wires piercing the skin; obtained dismissal of all patent infringement claims and jury verdict for Abiomed on remaining trade secret claims · Defended a leading manufacturer of mobile satellite dish systems against a competitor's suit for patent infringement; obtained jury verdict that competitor's patent claim is invalid · Represented the defendant in patent suit by Cognex Corporation involving machine vision and software algorithms, obtaining a favorable claim construction decision, Cognex Corp. v. Electro Scientific Industries, 214 F. Supp. 2d 110, modified, 242 F. Supp. 2d 47 (D. Mass. 2003) Professional / Civic Involvement · Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) · Boston Bar Association Publications · "Most Recent Sony Breach Illustrates the Cascading Effect of Data Breaches," Security, Privacy and the Law Blog (Oct. 2011) Honors/Awards Inventor on U.S. Patent No. 5,596,283 for Continuous Motion Test Apparatus and Method Named a "Kent Scholar" at Columbia School of Law (highest academic distinction) |