Education
Stanford Law School (J.D., 1996)
University of California Santa Cruz (B.A., 1993)
Bar & Court Admissions
State Bar of California
California Supreme Court
U.S. District Courts for the Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Services
- Litigation and Trial
- Appellate Practice Group
- Business and Commercial Litigation
- Cybersecurity, Privacy and Corporate Governance Practice Group
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Real Property Litigation
- Unfair Competition and Class Action Defense Group
- Physical Sciences and Chemistry
- Trademarks
Industries
Overview
Michael Adams is a trial attorney with more than 25 years of experience trying cases to jury verdict. He has particular expertise in unfair competition litigation, including trademark infringement, false advertising, trade secret misappropriation, antitrust, patent infringement and copyright infringement. He is also highly experienced in a wide array of business disputes involving fraud, partnership disputes, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract, and is especially experienced in class action defense of consumer protection statutes. Michael has successfully tried dozens of cases to jury verdict involving diverse matters such as intellectual property infringement, wrongful death, bank robbery, breach of contract and fraud.
Experience
Representative Matters
Trademark Infringement- Hard Candy Fitness v. Madonna Louise Ciccone. Represented Madonna in complex trademark infringement lawsuit brought by a cosmetics maker claiming likelihood of consumer confusion with Madonna's Hard Candy Fitness gyms.
- Robert Bosch, LLC v. Various Defendants. Represented Bosch in its trademark infringement and counterfeiting litigation throughout the country related to counterfeit automobile parts.
- ALO, LLC v. Various Defendants. Represented ALO in inter partes proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
- American Automobile Association v. Various Defendants. Represented AAA in its trademark infringement litigation throughout the State of California.
- Kavrehad v. Vizio. Represents Vizio in putative false advertising class action in the Central District of California.
- Kerkorian v. Samsung Electronics. Represented Samsung in putative false advertising class action pending in the Eastern District of California.
- Certified Nutraceuticals, Inc. v. Avicenna Nutraceutical, LLC. Represented manufacturer of raw collagen material in lawsuit brought by competitor for alleged false advertising.
- Moffet v. Recording Radio Film Connection. Represented defendant in putative class action alleging false advertising and unfair business practices related to client's career training services.
- NeoCell Corporation v. BioCell Technology, LLC. Represented NeoCell with respect to claims for false patent marking and false advertising relating to the efficacy of dietary supplements.
- Nationwide v. Fastapp. Represented appraisal management company against claims for trade secret misappropriation.
- VBS Television v. Arthro-7. Represented manufacturers against various unfair competition claims, including trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, trade dress infringement, copyright infringement and RICO.
- Various lawsuits involving CoreLogic. Represented CoreLogic in litigation throughout the country relating to CoreLogic's trade secrets.
- Fuhu, Inc. v Toys R Us. Represented electronic toy manufacturer suing Toys R Us for trade secret misappropriation.
- In the Matter of Certain Active Optical Cables. Represented U.S. company in International Trade Commission proceeding against Logitech, Facebook and Everpro alleging infringement of patents related to active optical cables.
- Sullivan v. Power Probe. Represented automotive diagnostics manufacturer defending against claims of patent infringement.
- Ace Duraflo v. NuFlow. Prosecuted claims on behalf of a pipe restoration technology company against its competitor for patent mismarking.
- California Strawberry Commission v. The Regents of the University of California. Represented the California Strawberry Commission in its litigation against the University of California relating to patent and tangible research property rights for strawberry varieties.
- Friedman v. Brother International Corporation. Represented Brother in class action alleging trespass and related claims arising from unused toner remaining in printer cartridges.
- Barr v. Futuredontics. Represented 1-800-Dentist in federal court class action alleging violations of the TCPA.
- Various Plaintiffs v. Owens Corning Fiberglass. Represented manufacturer in personal injury and wrongful death class actions.
- Telemaque v. Caveman Foods. Represents packaged foods company in putative class action alleging false advertising.
News and Insights
Related Posts
December 2, 2024 | OCBJ’s OC 500: Orange County’s Most Influential in Legal
August 18, 2022 | 23 Rutan Attorneys listed in The Best Lawyers in America© 2023
September 17, 2018 | Court Sanctions Nutrition CEO, Atty Over False Patent Claims
January 24, 2018 | Bodybuilding Co. Says Steroid-Alternative Suit Lacks Detail
November 16, 2017 | AAA accuses lodging service company of trademark infringement
July 12, 2016 | Sports Supplement Co.’s False Ad Suit Tossed
February 12, 2016 | CoreLogic, Morgan Stanley End Trade Secrets Release Feud
November 6, 2015 | Makeup Co. Resolves Madonna ‘Hard Candy’ Trademark Rows
July 24, 2015 | Sanctions Fight Ends In Madonna TM Row After Atty Switch
June 22, 2015 | Makeup Co. Files Madonna ‘Hard Candy’ Suit In Calif.
April 29, 2015 | What New Litigators Can Do To Win Their First Trial
October 5, 2012 | Rutan Partner Michael Adams Joins Board Of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Southern California Chapter
July 7, 2009 | Rutan LLP Wins Jury Trial Victory For Client
Publications
Publications
- “Truncated Proof” Class Actions & Derivative Suits, American Bar Association, Spring 2000
- “Using Statistics to Circumvent Evidentiary Problems” Daily Journal, August 6, 1999
Awards & Affiliations
Awards & Honors
- Southern California Super Lawyers, 2024 - 2025
- Best Lawyers in America 2023 - 2026
Members & Associations
- Federal Bar Association of Orange County (Director, 2012 to 2015)
- Capo Beach Church (Director, 2014 to 2021; Vice-President, 2016 to 2021)
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Southern California Chapter (Director, 2012 to 2016)
- Orange County Bar Association
- Stanford Alumni Association