Michael G. Rodriguez

Michael G. Rodriguez practices in the Health and Business Affairs area.  His practice includes advising The Texas A&M University System and its members on various matters involving patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, licensing, technology transfer, intellectual property enforcement and litigation, business transactions, commercialization issues, and system intellectual property policies and regulations. Michael reviews and drafts intellectual property agreements, corporate formation documents, and advises on legal issues for the Texas A&M Technology Commercialization and member commercialization offices.

Michael joined the Office of General Counsel in January 2024. He has over 18 years of experience as an Intellectual Property attorney handling a wide range of copyright, trademark, and patent matters including: preparation and prosecution, analysis and enforcement, negotiating licenses and settlements with international companies. Prior to joining the OGC, he was the Managing Partner of the Austin office of a Texas-based law firm. He specialized in intellectual property portfolio management, managed patent and trademark prosecution, and provided legal analysis for intellectual property issues and litigation. Before attending law school, Michael was a registered professional engineer and employed as a Senior Engineer with TXU. He also was an officer in the United States Navy Reserves, having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He has received numerous commendations, including those for his actions during active duty in Iraq from July 2005 to April 2006 and Afghanistan from January 2011 to September 2011.

Presentations & Publications
— Enforcing Your Patent Portfolio: Tips to think about before enforcing your patents; Michael Rodriguez and Kelly Chen, Inside Counsel, June 3, 2014
— Setting Your Business up for Success: Building a strong IP portfolio; Michael Rodriguez and Michael Phipps, Inside Counsel, May 20, 2014
— The Sword and the Shield: Building an offensive and defensive patent portfolio; Michael Rodriguez and Wallace Dunwoody, Inside Counsel, May 6, 2014
— Perfecting Patent Portfolio Management in the 21st Century; Michael Rodriguez and Jacob LaCombe, Inside Counsel, April 8, 2014

Education
J.D., Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 2005
B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1991

Professional Affiliations
Member, State Bar of Texas, since 2005; Intellectual Property Section
Admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
Austin Bar Association
Hispanic Bar Association
Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, member
DivInc, Austin accelerator for diverse entrepreneurs, mentor
Aggie Bar Association
American Intellectual Property Law Association
National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)
Dallas Bar Foundation, Fellow

Admissions
Texas
Registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office