Michael C. Sanko

Associate

Michael Sanko focuses his practice on intellectual property (IP) portfolio strategy, particularly patent prosecution and counseling. Michael advises clients in the preparation and prosecution of utility and design patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and various foreign jurisdictions. He leverages his engineering experience in the automotive and aerospace industries to efficiently comprehend, and procure patent rights to, inventions in a myriad of technologies, including mechanical, electrical, software, and manufacturing-related inventions. Michael also helps clients navigate sophisticated patent landscapes, including enforcement or defense to granted patent rights, by assisting with freedom-to-operate or patent infringement analyses.

Credentials
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Education

  • J.D. cum laude Loyola University Chicago School of Law 2020
    • Fellow, Chicago Intellectual Property Colloquium
    • Lead articles editor, Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, Vol. 51
    • Publication editor, IP Bytes (a Loyola University Chicago blog)
    • Student clinician, Loyola University Chicago Business Law Clinic
  • M.S.L. with honors Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law 2017
    • Focused studies on Intellectual Property Law
    • Executive board member, High Tech Law Society
    • International team project: Autonomous Vehicle Development in U.S. and Germany
  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering University of Dayton 2014

Bar Admissions

  • Illinois
  • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • Member, Chicago Bar Association (CBA)
  • Member, Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC)
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)

Recognition
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  • Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch, Intellectual Property Law, 2023 – 2025

Community
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Pro Bono

  • Assisted in the preparation and prosecution of a utility patent application directed to an eating utensil for persons with physical disabilities, through work with the Chicago-Kent Patent Hub, part of the USPTO Patent Pro Bono Program