Michael Cicero practices in Taylor English’s Intellectual Property Department, where he focuses his practice on patent prosecution and preparation of opinions. His work also extends to trademark prosecution and copyright matters.
While at the University of South Carolina School of Law, Mr. Cicero worked as a patent disclosure writer for the Commercial Nuclear Fuel Division of Westinghouse Electric Corp., serving as a liaison between inventors in Columbia, S.C., and Westinghouse’s Patent Committee in Pittsburgh.
After working for Westinghouse, Mr. Cicero amassed more than 22 years of private practice in intellectual property with law firms in Greenville, South Carolina and, beginning in 1997, in Atlanta. Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Mr. Cicero possesses patent prosecution experience in the mechanical and electromechanical arts, and he drafted numerous patents and office action responses and petitions. Examples of patents he has authored include those covering an elevator monitor, a machine for opening signature sheets, and a wearable interactive notification device and notification system.
Mr. Cicero also has substantial intellectual property litigation experience. His patent litigation experience includes Markman (patent claim interpretation) proceedings, trials, and motion practice. A significant portion of his experience also includes trademark and copyright infringement litigation, which enabled him to author the trademark and copyright infringement portions of a chapter on IP Litigation appearing in the 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 Editions of Georgia Business Litigation.
Mr. Cicero received his BS in civil engineering from The Citadel in 1987, attained membership in Tau Beta Pi, and is a South Carolina-certified engineer in training. Mr. Cicero also obtained a BS in electrical engineering from Kennesaw State University in 2015.
Affiliations
- Trade Secrets Committee of the Georgia Bar Intellectual Property Law Section, Chair (2020-present); Vice Chair (2017-2020)
- Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Volunteer Attorney (2018-present) – Includes representation of tenants in dispossessory actions filed in the Fulton County Magistrate Court
- Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, Education Committee (2020-present); Governmental Affairs Council (2018-2019); Leadership Cherokee Class of 2021
- Colony Square Toastmasters Club, Member (2006-2021); President (2007-2008); VP of Education (2013-2014 and 2006-2007); VP of Public Relations (2010-2011); VP of Membership (2011-2012)
- Citadel Club of Northwest Georgia, Member, 2013-present
- Georgia Italian American Bar Association, Member
- Georgia Manufacturing Alliance, Member
Recognitions
- Georgia Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2005
Practice Areas
- Intellectual Property – Patent
Education
- Kennesaw State University, BS, Electrical Engineering, cum laude, 2015
- University of South Carolina School of Law, JD, 1990
- The Citadel, BS, Civil Engineering, 1987
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
presentations
Presentation on Supreme Court Copyright Decision to be Delivered at Nov. 9 Cobb County Bar Association Meeting
October 30th, 2023
I’ve accepted the gracious invitation from the Business Law and Litigation Section of the Cobb County Bar Association to speak at that…
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“Supreme Court Toughens Requirements for an Accused Work to Be Deemed ‘Transformative’ for Copyright Fair Use Defense Purposes,” Georgia Bar Journal
September 13th, 2023
I am pleased to have published my article in the latest edition of the Georgia Bar Journal, discussing the Supreme Court’s copyright fair…
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Starbucks Trade Secret Case Decision Serves Up Timely Reminder About Statutes of Limitation
August 8th, 2023
In a July 26 decision, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissed a highly-publicized trade secret…
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Dissenting Federal Circuit Judge Further Exposes Need for Patent Reform Legislation
August 3rd, 2023
Patent eligibility law interpreting Section 101 of the Patent Act has once again come under fire, this time from a dissenting judge of…
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