Michael Q. Lee is a director in Sterne Kessler’s Electronics Practice Group where he focuses his practice on working with companies to strategically protect and leverage their IP assets. He has extensive experience protecting inventions in a diverse range of technologies, including RF and wireless communications; telecommunications; media servers; consumer products; computer processor and memory architectures; and software, cloud computing, Internet, database and business methods. In one example, for a client in the RF/wireless space, Mike built a worldwide patent portfolio that includes over 350 U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications.

Mike counsels clients on a wide range of technology-related transactions, including joint development agreements, strategic alliances, license agreements, asset purchase agreements, contractor and services agreements, shrink wrap license agreements and manufacture/supply agreements. He is a Certified Licensing ProfessionalTM.

Mike is counsel in over 20 inter partes review (IPR) and covered business method (CBM) review proceedings. He has been the lead attorney in over 30 inter partes reexaminations and has worked on numerous district court litigations.

Prior to joining Sterne Kessler, Mike was employed as an engineer in the computer and communications industries. He developed and integrated hardware and software to test and verify satellite communication systems.

Mike has been recognized by the IAM Strategy 250 and 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists, and has consistently been ranked in the IAM Patent 1000 for the categories of patent prosecution and transactions. Mike has also been recognized as an “IP Star” by Managing IP since 2013. He was formerly President of the Certified Licensing Professionals Inc. and a Vice President of the Licensing Executives Society (USA/Canada). He is a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu.

Mike is a contributing author of Patent Office Litigation, Second Edition, published in 2017 by Thomson Reuters Westlaw. The book provides a fresh and comprehensive exploration of patent office litigation proceedings, including how the proceedings interact with other aspects of patent procurement and enforcement, while delivering practical analysis and advice.

Mike earned his JD, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center and has a M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland. He received his B.S., also in electrical engineering, from the University of Virginia (high honors).

Technical Publications

  • “The 2005 Patent Landscape for Electronics Companies,”Practising Law Institute Coursebook, March 2005, (co-author).
  • “Business method patents for financial products and services,” IP Value 2005, January 2005, (co-author).
  • “Patenting Bioinformatics Inventions – Practical Considerations,” Proceedings of the AIPLA 23rd Mid-Winter Institute, January 2000 (co-author).
  • “When Worlds Collide: Patents Grow at the Interface of Software and Biotechnology,” Legal Times Special Report on Intellectual Property, April 1997 (co-author).
  • “Preparing and Prosecuting Electronic and Computer Related Patent Applications: Avoiding and Overcoming Statutory Subject Matter Rejections,” IDEA, 1993 (co-author).

  • IAM Global Leaders, “Global Leader” (2024 – 2020)
  • IAM Patent 1000, “Washington, DC: Highly Recommended – Patent Prosecution, Recommended – Transactions,” (2023 – 2020)
  • IAM Patent 1000, “Washington, D.C.: Highly Recommended – Patent Prosecution, Highly Recommended – Transactions,” (2019 – 2014)
  • Managing Intellectual Property, “IP Star” (2023 – 2013)
  • IAM Strategy 300, “Top IP Strategist” (2016 – 2013)
  • Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc., President (2014 – 2013)
  • Certified Licensing Professionals Inc., Board of Governors (2012 – 2011)
  • IAM 250, “Leading Patent and Technology Licensing Lawyer” (2011 – 2010)

  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude
  • M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland
  • B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Virginia, with high distinction

  • District of Columbia
  • Pennsylvania
  • United States Patent & Trademark Office

  • Certified Licensing Professionals Inc.
  • Tau Beta Pi
  • Eta Kappa Nu

Related Resources

From Michael Q. Lee

Press Release

November 22, 2023

IAM Again Ranks Four Sterne Kessler Attorneys as Global Leaders

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Press Release

July 6, 2023

Sterne Kessler and 14 Directors Earn Top Rankings in Managing IP’s 2023 “IP Stars” Guide

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Press Release

December 1, 2021

IAM Recognizes Four Sterne Kessler Directors as 2022 Global Leaders in Intellectual Property

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Press Release

November 25, 2020

Directors Sterne, Goldstein, Durkin and Lee Recognized as 2021 IAM Global Leaders

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Press Release

June 16, 2020

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox and 15 Directors Earn Top Rankings in IAM Patent 1000

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Press Release

May 5, 2020

Sterne Kessler Ranked and 13 Directors Named “IP Stars” by Managing Intellectual Property

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Press Release

June 12, 2019

Sterne Kessler Prominent Again in Intellectual Asset Management Magazine’s "IAM Patent 1000"

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C

Press Release

May 20, 2019

Sterne Kessler Tops Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Firm Rankings – Eleven Directors Named "IP Stars"

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.L.L.C.

Bylined Articles

July 28, 2017

Licensing Considerations After Impression Products v. Lexmark

Bloomberg BNA Michael Q. Lee, Paul A. Ainsworth

Press Release

June 6, 2017

Sterne Kessler Directors Named to IAM Patent 1000 by Intellectual Asset Management Magazine

Michael Q. Lee, Paul A. Ainsworth

Client Alert

May 30, 2017

The Supreme Court Redefines Patent Exhaustion

Michael Q. Lee, Paul A. Ainsworth

In the News

May 30, 2017

3 Takeaways From The High Court's Patent Exhaustion Ruling

Law360 Michael Q. Lee, Paul A. Ainsworth

Books and Chapters

February 17, 2017

Patent Office Litigation - Second Edition 2017

Thomson Reuters Westlaw Multiple Authors

Bylined Articles

December 13, 2016

Lexmark May Fundamentally Change Patent Licensing

Law360 Michael Q. Lee

Bylined Articles

October 13, 2016

Will High Court Take On Patent Exhaustion?

Law360 Michael Q. Lee

Press Release

June 9, 2015

Sterne Kessler Directors Named "Top IP Strategists" by IAM Magazine

Michael Q. Lee

In the News

March 23, 2015

PTAB Nixes Symantec Computer Back-Up Patent In AIA Review

Law360 Michael Q. Lee

Press Release

February 4, 2015

Veeam Invalidates Symantec’s Patents at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Michael Q. Lee

In the News

January 9, 2015

From The Firm to The Motley Fool

Forefront Magazine Michael Q. Lee

In the News

August 1, 2014

Patent - PTAB: Some claims of Symantec's computer restoration patent were made obvious by prior art

IP Law Daily Wrap Up Michael Q. Lee

Press Release

May 30, 2014

Sterne Kessler Directors named "Top IP Strategists" by IAM Magazine

Michael Q. Lee