H. Michael "Mike" Hartmann
Recognized since 2008
Chicago, Illinois
Litigation - Intellectual Property
Litigation - Patent
Patent Law
Trade Secrets Law


Michael Hartmann is active in all phases of intellectual property law with an emphasis in intellectual property litigation and technology protection and transfer in the United States and internationally. He has acted as lead trial counsel in jury and bench trials, International Trade Commission investigations, and related pre-trial and appellate proceedings in diverse technical fields. These include software, telecommunications, machine vision and semiconductor manufacturing, oil field drilling and geophysics technology, subsea electrical and optical connectors, standby power generation, ethylene oxide catalysts, molecular sieve zeolites, polymeric lenses and membranes, x-ray film emulsions, pharmaceuticals and blood filtration, gypsum wallboard manufacture, and mechanical devices. His international experience includes directing legal proceedings in courts in England, Germany, and France, as well as before the European and Japanese Patent Offices. He has participated in a number of major domestic and international technology transfer and licensing transactions.
Mr. Hartmann was born in Frankfurt, Germany and is fluent in German. Prior to joining the firm, he served on the engineering staff of Mobil Oil Corporation (now ExxonMobil) and worked as an intern with a German patent firm. He has lectured before several groups, including the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Practicing Law Institute, and at German professional conferences. He is a member of a number of national and international professional organizations. Mr. Hartmann served as president of the firm from 2009 to 2015.
Contact & Links
Location
- Two Prudential Plaza, Suite 4900
180 North Stetson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601-6745
Languages
- German
Education
- Colorado School of Mines, B.S. in Chemical Engineering, graduated 1970
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 1976
Affiliations
- ? VPP – Vereinigung von Fachleuten des Gewerblichen Rechtsschutzes - (the German IP lawyers association)
- American Intellectual Property Law Association - (AIPLA)
- Association Internationale Pour La Protection De La Propriété Industrielle - (AIPPI)
- Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) - Board of Managers (2009)
- Intellectual Property Owners Association - (IPO)
- The Richard Linn American Inn of Court - Emeritus Member
- U.S. Bar-EPO Liaison Council - former Chair
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Fifth Circuit, Seventh Circuit, and Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar) and other United States district courts
7 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
3 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America awards


Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Patent Law, Chicago (2019)
- Patent Law, Chicago (2013)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2022 for work in:
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Litigation - Patent
- Patent Law
- Trade Secrets Law
Special Focus
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Appellate
- International
- Licensing
- Litigation
- Patent
- Trade Secrets
- Transactions
- Unfair Trade Practices
Awards:
- Named as one of "The World's Leading Patent Practitioners" - Intellectual Asset Management's IAM
- Named as "IP Star" - Managing Intellectual Property™
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated (Highest Rating) – Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers USA
- Named in the Illinois Super Lawyers list, Intellectual Property Litigation
- Named among “The Top 100” Illinois Super Lawyers
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"Mike is one of the best IP litigators around; he is very experienced with an excellent sense for the right approach to judges and juries. He is also very aggressive without being obnoxious about it. He is an excellent choice for major cases."