Prominent Patent Litigator Joins Pillsbury in Silicon Valley

“The technology sector continues to be a major growth engine for Pillsbury and the IP needs of those clients are more sophisticated than they have ever been before,” said Firm Chair David Dekker. “Mike is a seasoned IP practitioner whose arrival immediately and significantly upgrades our IP offering in the Valley. He’s also a well-respected member of the Palo Alto legal community whose collaborative nature and reputation as a strong leader are a great fit for our firm.”

Zeliger, who has an established reputation as a standout patent litigator, serves as lead counsel to technology companies in a variety of complex IP issues. He offers extensive experience in home security and automation, consumer products, vibration control systems, robotics, nonwoven materials, laboratory instrumentation, food processing and manufacturing. His experience spans all stages of litigation, including Markman and dispositive motions, jury and bench trials, and appeals.

Jack Barufka, head of Pillsbury’s IP practice, added: “Across the board, our tech sector clients are facing numerous and complex intellectual property challenges. That’s why we are incredibly excited to have Mike on board. He is extremely talented and shares many synergies with our global IP litigation team.”

Zeliger is the latest in a string of tech-focused Pillsbury hires on the West Coast. The firm recruited San Francisco-based patent litigators Chris Kao and David Tsai—who operate a sizeable practice in Taiwan—last year after bringing on IP litigation partners Howard Wisnia and James Conley in San Diego and renowned IP trial lawyer Ken Keller, special counsel Christopher Stretch and counsel Vijay Toke in San Francisco in 2017.

“With a well-established reputation among technology companies, an impressive roster of experienced IP practitioners and a clear commitment to strategic growth, Pillsbury’s platform is the right fit for me,” Zeliger said. “I was immediately attracted to the stability of the firm’s Silicon Valley office, where many partners have practiced for decades, and the strong corporate and technology practice here, which fits nicely with my own focus on tech clients.”

From household name consumer electronics companies to highly specialized equipment manufacturers to seed-stage startups, Pillsbury handles all types of technology matters for all sizes and types of companies. More than 250 lawyers across the U.S., Europe and Asia serve clients throughout their life cycle and around the globe, successfully guiding established tech industry behemoths through business-critical transactions and disputes and nurturing shoestring startups so they can become market leaders.