Lawyers

MICHAEL J. IOANNOU

Partner — San Jose

EXPERIENCE

Michael J. Ioannou joined Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley in 1980 and became a partner in 1987. He is currently the Resident Director of the San Jose Office. His practice focuses on representing offshore and U.S.-based public and private high technology software and hardware design, development, manufacturing and information technology companies. He also provides extensive advice to offshore and U.S.-based businesses for multi-national offshoring transactions and strategies, pre-litigation dispute resolution, prosecution and defense of civil litigation, and all aspects of intellectual property and corporate governance issues. He has extensive experience in intellectual property litigation, including patent, trademark and copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, and commercial litigation including software/hardware defect claims, business torts, financial institution liability, real estate, private and public directors and officers’ fiduciary, shareholder class action and litigation derivative litigation and anti-trust. As a mergers and acquisitions attorney, Mr.Ioannou has represented both buyers and sellers in a wide range of M&A transactions and has considerable experience in drafting, negotiating letters of intent, asset purchase, stock purchase and merger agreements and other related documents. His clients include small-to medium-sized businesses, public companies, founders of start-up companies and individuals.

He has consulted for the California Continuing Education of the Bar on chapters of the Competitive Business Practices Book involving business torts and unfair competition. He has published an article in Upside Magazine concerning the “Look and Feel” copyright protection issue. Mr. Ioannou was a speaker at the Semicon West conference on “Intellectual Property and the Secondary Market” and has lectured in India on several occasions for the Indian government including the government of state of Punjab, Confederation of India Industry, Indo American Chamber of Commerce and Associated Chambers of Commerce on various topics involving IT and BPO Outsourcing.

Mr. Ioannou obtained his bachelor of combined sciences and his J.D. from Santa Clara University in 1977 and 1980, respectively. He was the recipient for Best Brief, Constitutional Law Question, in Moot Court Competition. He has been a member of the Board of Fellows of Santa Clara University since 1995. He is a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and is past Chair of the International Section. He is licensed to practice before all California state courts and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Eastern Districts of California, as well as the United States Claims Court and the United States Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division. He has been appointed as and continues to be a Judge Pro Tem for Santa Clara County Superior Court since 1989, having successfully settled over 100 business or high tech-related disputes. He was invited by the District Court to become a member of its Federal Mediation Panel and has been certified as a federal mediator by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Finally, he was awarded and continues to hold the highest personal rating from Martindale-Hubbell.