Thompson & Knight Adds Three Leading Trial Attorneys to Robust Intellectual Property Group

DALLAS, Texas April 6, 2020 – Thompson & Knight LLP is pleased to announce that Phillip Philbin, Jamie McDole and Michael Karson have joined the Firm’s Dallas office as Partners in the Intellectual Property Group. These trial attorneys have a combined 60 years of expertise, including cases involving some of the highest profile companies in the country, and proven ability to deliver successful outcomes for clients seeking to protect high-value IP assets.

“Phillip, Jamie, and Michael significantly broaden and deepen an already robust IP defense practice at Thompson & Knight, and add increased fire power to our plaintiff-side patent infringement capabilities. The addition of this team is a natural complement to our broader litigation group and will be beneficial to the Firm and our clients as we continue to grow in a variety of practice areas in Texas,” said Managing Partner Mark M. Sloan.

Biographical Information

Phillip Philbin is a highly experienced trial lawyer who comes to Thompson & Knight following a distinguished 30-year career at Haynes and Boone, where he was engaged in a myriad of intellectual property matters including patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright, trade secret, and unfair competition. His strong trial skills and strategic acumen in patent litigation have allowed him to win cases in front of juries and judges across the country. As a registered patent attorney, he is knowledgeable in the legal framework of patent law as well as its technical underpinnings. This combination of skills has enabled Phillip to achieve notable trial victories for his clients in matters such as a take-nothing judgment on behalf of a defendant in a high profile electronic check clearing patent litigation; winning a $500 million verdict in a copyright and contract case (one of the largest verdicts in the country in 2017); and successfully enforcing a portfolio of smart meter patents against the entire industry. In addition to his successes in the courtroom Mr. Philbin is a frequent author and speaker on patent topics and serves as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, where he teaches a patent litigation class based on a curriculum that he helped develop. He earned his law degree from Baylor University School of Law and his B.S. from Trinity University.

Jamie McDole has more than 20 years’ experience as a trial lawyer in high profile IP cases and has successfully represented a wide array of Fortune 500 clients in jurisdictions throughout the country. He has handled numerous IP litigation matters in areas including telecommunications, software, electronics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, business methods, steel processing, railroad components and mechanical engineering. He also has extensive trial experience, in both federal district courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission, and utilizes his registration with the United States Patent & Trademark Office to counsel clients on all aspects of intellectual property law. Mr. McDole spent 13 years at Kirkland & Ellis and eight years at Haynes and Boone before joining Thompson & Knight.  He earned his law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Iowa.

Michael Karson is an accomplished trial lawyer with particular expertise in intellectual property matters including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.  His cases have involved a broad and diverse set of technologies that include 3G and 4G cellular communications and equipment, mobile device management for wireless devices, wireless smart electricity metering, data communications, optical networks, blood cholesterol testing strips, internal combustion engines, and industrial cooling equipment. Mr. Karson also has experience in complex, multi-district litigation matters and proceedings before the U.S. International Trade Commission, and he was an active member of the trial team that obtained a $500 million jury verdict in a copyright and contract case tried in federal court in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Karson has extensive experience in all phases of litigation. He spent his first four years as an attorney with Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago, followed by six years at Haynes and Boone before coming to Thompson & Knight. Mr. Karson earned his law degree from the John Marshall Law School and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and his M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, both from the University of Iowa.

About Thompson & Knight

Established in 1887, Thompson & Knight is a full-service law firm with more than 300 attorneys. The Firm provides legal solutions to clients and communities around the world. In the past year Thompson & Knight received a top national ranking for Intellectual Property Litigation in U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms”, was ranked by Chambers USA and by IAM Patent 1000 among the top firms in Texas for Intellectual Property; and for the tenth year in a row, was recognized for superior client service in The BTI Client Service A-Team 2020: The Survey of Law Firm Client Service Performance