Michael Polka is a trial attorney focusing on intellectual property and technology-related disputes. With a background as a mechanical engineer, he brings a unique blend of technical expertise and industry experience to his legal practice.

Michael has over a decade of legal experience and firsthand knowledge of all phases of litigation. He has led multiple litigation teams and contributed to three trial teams. Throughout his career, he has represented plaintiffs and defendants across diverse industries, including energy production, consumer goods, industrial processing, automotive, aviation, network security, and cryptocurrency.

In addition to patent litigation, Michael’s experience extends to trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, as well as patent portfolio review, freedom-to-operate analysis, and design-around strategies. Prior to joining RJLF, he most recently worked at Gibson Dunn, where he further refined his skills in navigating complex legal matters.

Before practicing law, Michael practiced for nearly a decade as a mechanical engineer at General Electric in its nuclear energy division, completing the prestigious Edison Engineering Development Program. His engineering background enables him to connect with business leaders and technical professionals to gain a deep understanding of their challenges and goals.

He also served as a longtime member and secretary of the New York City Bar Association Committee on Patents from 2014 to 2023.

Representative Matters

• Represented Sophos in bringing counterclaims against competitor OpenText in a large-scale patent litigation regarding IT security.

• Represented SNF, the world’s largest producer of water-soluble polymers, against patent infringement claims brought by BASF.

• Represented Costco in successfully defending an 18-patent suit regarding high-end windshield wipers.

• Represented TC Heartland against allegations of patent infringement by Kraft at all stages of the litigation, including the successful correction of patent venue law at the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Represented a regional grocery distributor against trademark claims brought by Nestle.

• Represented an autonomous aviation startup defending against trade secret misappropriation claims by competitor.

• Represented Costco in several cases preventing importation of counterfeit goods on an emergency basis.

• Represented Sonneman, a renowned architectural lighting firm and related companies, assisting in the take-down of counterfeiters’ websites for using copyright-infringing images.

• Represented the baby products company Chicco against claims its strollers were defective.

• Represented GE Vernova against contract claims related to gas turbine power plants arising out of the 2021 Texas power grid failure.

• Contributed to amicus curiae briefs in support of the prevailing parties for IBM and Red Hat in Google v. Oracle, and the High Tech Inventors Alliance in Helsinn v. Teva.

• Counseled a special purpose acquisition company in connection with its $3 billion merger with advanced battery company QuantumScape by evaluating the strength of its patent portfolio.