Management Company

MICHAEL J. KLINE

*** ******* **** **** 770-***-**** (home) 404-***-**** (cell)

Marietta, GA 30067 *************@***.***

SUMMARY

Senior Intellectual Property Attorney with over 25 years of diverse experience managing patent, trademark, trade dress, trade secret, and copyright matters, including prosecution, merger and acquisition due diligence, licensing, and litigation. Excellent communication skills, ability to spot issues early, creative problem solving skills, and passion for excellence valued by senior management. Areas of expertise include ability to:

• Provide excellent written and oral communication

• Interface with Senior Management, Legal Management, and Technical Community

• Provide thought leadership and collaborate persuasively on complex legal issues

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY, Atlanta, GA 1999-2011

Senior Patent Counsel 2009-2011

Managed Company’s worldwide design patent portfolio and utility patent portfolio for key technologies comprising over 40% of Company’s utility patent docket; managed Company’s patent licenses; counseled senior management on issues relating to patent clearance, design around strategies, and pre-litigation strategies; leveraged IP litigation experience in developing patent and technology development strategies.

• “Exceptional Performance” rating

• Supervised patent department staff of five paralegals and secretaries

• Developed non-disclosure agreement templates for Upside contract tool

Senior Litigation Counsel-- Intellectual Property 2002-2009

Led the Company's worldwide intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark, trade secret, and copyright disputes. Counseled senior management regarding pre-litigation, trial, appellate, and settlement strategy. Negotiated settlements through mediation and licensing. Retained and managed outside litigation counsel and experts; managed budgets for same. Strategically directed litigation team, coordinating trial counsels' goals with business clients' objectives. Assisted as member of trial team, participating in document discovery, depositions, and witness preparation. Counseled clients on intellectual property issues relating to international disputes, marketing/advertising issues, trademark oppositions, antitrust issues, parallel imports, franchising, licensing, false advertising, domain name disputes, food law issues, counterfeiting, labeling/FDA issues, consumer class actions, and preparing media responses.

• Won seven figure jury verdict and secured patent injunction against key competitor

• Settled eight figure patent dispute against Procter & Gamble

• Developed Early Case Assessment strategy for managing complex litigation

• Enforced patent and trade dress rights against infringers of Simply Orange® carafe

Patent and Technology Counsel 2000-2002

Responsible for patent searches, prosecution, and other intellectual property issues concerning the Company’s worldwide product packaging and marketing promotions. Responsible for patent clearance, and assisting clients in designing around issued patents. Negotiated acquisition and licensing of intellectual property rights relating to acquired companies and technologies. Managed Company's outside submission policy and assisted in redrafting it. Prepared/negotiated non-disclosure agreements, consulting agreements, license agreements and joint development agreements relating to Company's technical development with third parties, including DuPont, Alcoa, Alcan, Mead, Riverwood (GPI), Sidel, and Schmalbach-Lubeca. Performed and supervised patent validity/infringement studies. Supervised legal assistants preparing contracts relating to information systems hardware and telecommunications transactions. Drafted and negotiated telecommunications contracts, supply contracts, and settlement agreements. Taught intellectual property law seminars to research personnel.

Litigation Counsel 1999-2000

Assisted in managing intellectual property litigation matters.

MICHAEL J. KLINE

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THORP, REED & ARMSTRONG, Pittsburgh, PA 1992-1999

Equity Partner; IP Department Chair

Founded firm’s intellectual property department, set up docketing and filing systems, hired, trained, and supervised 15-person department, including associates, paralegals and staff. Served on firm’s Practice Management Committee. Served as outside chief intellectual property counsel for Sunbeam Corporation, and oversaw filing, prosecution, and maintenance of that company's worldwide intellectual property assets, including several hundred patents and over a thousand trademarks. Supervised/prepared patent filings on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and The University of Pittsburgh relating to medical devices. Performed all aspects of intellectual property practice, including litigation, prosecution, licensing, and infringement opinions.

ECKERT, SEAMANS, CHERIN & MELLOTT, Pittsburgh, PA – Associate 1990-1992

REED, SMITH, SHAW & MCCLAY, Pittsburgh, PA – Associate 1986-1990

BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE, Chicago, IL – Associate 1985-1986

EDUCATION/HONORS

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law

• J.D., cum laude, 1985

• Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Law and Commerce, 1984-85

• First Place Winner, Nathan Burkan Memorial Writing Competition for article entitled “Requiring An Election of Protection for Patentable/Copyrightable Computer Programs,” 1985

The Pennsylvania State University

• B.S., Chemical Engineering, 1980

• NROTC Scholarship Recipient, Midshipman, 1976-1978

BAR AND PTO ADMISSIONS

1984 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Reg. No. 31,632

1985 State of Illinois and USDC Northern District of Illinois

1986 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and USDC Western District of Pennsylvania

U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal, Third, and Fifth Circuits

1997 Supreme Court of the United States

2000 Supreme Court of Georgia and USDC Northern District of Georgia

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