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Michael Ng photo
Michael Ng
Lawyer
San Francisco
150 California Street, 19th Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
+1 415 582 4803
michael.ng@kobrekim.com
vCard Download 
San Francisco
150 California Street, 19th Floor
San Francisco, California 94111
+1 415 582 4803
michael.ng@kobrekim.com
vCard Download 

Michael Ng serves as lead trial counsel in high-stakes trade secret, intellectual property and business litigation.  He is sought out by clients around the world to manage complex disputes involving bet-the-company risk.    

Those clients laud both his courtroom skills and strategic acumen.  “Mike is stellar and exudes the utmost integrity in everything he does” one told IAM Magazine, noting his “fantastic judgment” and calling him “a trusted adviser who thinks outside the box and resolves legal problems while generating business value for his clientele, whose needs and operations he understands deeply.” 

Naming him one of the top 100 lawyers in California, the Daily Journal recently praised Mr. Ng as a “24-year veteran” who has “built his career on the principle that legal advocacy can reshape entire industries,” while “handling some of the most complex patent, trade secret and technology disputes of the past decade.”  Mr. Ng has led the Kobre & Kim Intellectual Property and Technology Disputes team to a high ranking in Chambers & Partners USA guide (Intellectual Property: Trade Secrets), which quoted respondents calling them an “incredibly mighty” team that “come out with huge wins” and from others extoling their “creative solutions to aggressively pursue strategy,” and “excellent client service.” 

Mr. Ng and his team were named “Litigators of the Week” by The American Lawyer for a $605 million trade secret win for renewable fuels startup Propel Fuels following a five-week jury trial.  The verdict was subsequently increased by $195 million in enhanced damages, in a decision by the judge calling defendant Phillip 66’s conduct “reprehensible from a business perspective” and commenting that its story “did not seem to hold up on cross-examination.”  The resulting $833 million judgment stands as one of the largest trade secret awards in American history. 

Mr. Ng is also known for developing programs to help innovators monetize high-value intellectual property assets. Listing him as one of the world’s top 300 intellectual property strategists, IAM called him "calm, thoughtful, open-minded in terms of solutions and an exceptional litigator all around," and said he "thoroughly understands the nuances of the litigation funding world and knows it better than anyone." 

Mr. Ng has been recognized on myriad rankings and awards for top lawyers, including Daily Journal’s Top Intellectual Property Lawyers, Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America, as a Law360 “Legal Lion,” and on the shortlist for the California Legal Awards’ “Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year.”  Benchmark Litigation recognized Kobre & Kim as one of the top 20 trial firms in the United States, gave a top national ranking to the firm’s IP practice, and named Mr. Ng both a Litigation Star and National Practice Area Star.  The American Lawyer has recognized Kobre & Kim as a finalist for its 2025 Specialty Litigation Department of the Year, with final selection pending.

Mr. Ng devotes considerable time to public service.  He currently serves as the chair of the board of the Asian Law Caucus, the country’s oldest Asian-American civil rights organization, and on the board of the East Bay Community Law Center, a clinical affiliate of Berkeley Law School, and co-chairs the Judiciary Committee of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.

SERVICES

Admissions

  • California
  • New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
  • Executive Office for Immigration Review

Education

  • Harvard Law School, JD
  • Harvard College, AB

Accolades

  • IAM Strategy 300 Global Leader
  • IAM Patent 1000
  • The American Lawyer "Litigator of the Week"
  • Daily Journal Top Intellectual Property Lawyers 2025
  • Recommended - World IP Review Global Trade Secrets 2025
  • Lawdragon, 500 Leading Litigators in America
  • Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star
  • Benchmark Litigation, National Practice Area Star
SERVICES

Select Engagements

Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation

  • In Propel Fuels Inc. v. Phillips 66 Co., Kobre & Kim won a US $604.9 million jury verdict on behalf of its startup client, an innovator in renewable fuels, following a terminated acquisition by oil major Phillips 66. Secured after a five-week trial in the Superior Court of California, the victory was already the most significant trade secret verdict of the previous three years and the fifth-largest verdict of any kind in 2024. The jury also found Phillips 66’s misconduct willful and malicious— entitling Propel to US $195 million additional exemplary damages and pre-judgment interest per a subsequent order issued on July 30, 2025, bringing the total award to Propel to more than US $833 million with the possibility of an additional award of attorneys’ fees and costs to be added later.
  • Representation of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian government’s science agency and the inventor of the core technology underlying the IEEE 802.11a, g, n and ac wireless LAN standards, commonly known as Wi-Fi. The litigation ranks among the most successful recent efforts to enforce a single patent, resulting in payments to CSIRO totaling US $400 million+. In commending CSIRO’s inventors, the European Patent Office lauded the litigation as “a tremendous success,” stating that “only a few universities around the world are able to successfully commercialize their R&D by patenting their technologies, in particular to the scale of several hundred million dollars. One such exception is CSIRO[.]”
  • Representation of leading enterprise banking software developer in claims involving trade secret misappropriation and breach of copyright relating to modification of source code for client’s core product by a Big Four bank.
  • Representation involving an infringement suit challenging a client’s innovative designs for prefabricated concrete slabs promising lower costs for billions of dollars in highway construction and other public infrastructure projects. The client successfully turned back its competitor’s strategic litigation seeking to drive it from the market and ultimately resolved the litigation on favorable terms, allowing it continued freedom to operate.
  • Representation of an industry-leading technology company against civil and criminal allegations of trade secret misappropriation involving alleged hacking of competitor’s computer systems.
  • Representation of a Netherlands engineering design company in positioning its European and U.S. patent portfolio covering datacenter-cooling technology, successfully protecting its innovative designs currently in use and slated for installation around the world.
  • Representation of an American consumer products manufacturer in trademark and trade dress dispute whose key product design had been copied by a Chinese manufacturer and distributed globally by a U.S. brand company. Aggressive prelitigation action resulted in complete and immediate cessation of all infringing activity.
  • Representation of a leading developer of enterprise-level email archiving software against patent infringement claims brought by a well-known patent aggregation and enforcement entity in the Eastern District of Texas, with speedy resolution on extremely favorable terms.
  • Successful opposition, through appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, of an effort to disqualify a prominent law firm in a multiparty patent litigation.
  • Representation of Spanish R&D company Fractus S.A. in several patent infringement actions against the major U.S. cellular carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) and two antenna manufacturers. After a successful trial representation in the Eastern District of Texas, Kobre & Kim obtained a favorable out-of-court settlement for the client resulting in the transfer of its base station antenna technology patent portfolio.

Government Enforcement Defense

  • Representation of two British citizens in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement action alleging securities fraud in connection with investor relations and stock promotion activities.
  • Representation of NFL franchise in connection with antitrust claims involving construction of new stadium.
  • Representation of an American enterprise software company in civil claims and a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into alleged violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

  • Representation of an international medical device supplier in civil litigation and a related federal investigation into alleged fraud in connection with a government procurement.
  • Representation of card company in a multibillion-dollar antitrust dispute relating to monopolization of the bank-issued credit and charge cards market.
  • Defense at trial court and appellate levels of prominent law firm alleged to have disqualifying conflict of interest relating to high-stakes dispute.
  • Representation of the CEO of a public Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company in an action brought by an American retailer against a number of Asian suppliers alleging participation in a US $65 million insider fraud. The case was successfully resolved on favorable terms shortly before trial.
  • Representation of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors in multiple cases, including arbitration of a contract dispute with high-profile personnel.
  • Representation of an enterprise software company over a dispute involving a high-value license with Cisco Systems Inc.
 
SERVICES

Professional & Community Involvement

  • East Bay Community Law Center, Chair of the Board of Directors
  • American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section, Member and Former Subcommittee Chair of Patent Exhaustion
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Member
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member
SERVICES

Publications & Presentations

  • Speaker, "Cross-border trade secret litigation" (Sedona Conference on Developing Best Practices for Trade Secret Issues, Scottsdale, December 2017)
  • Moderator, "Internal Investigations and the Global Enterprise: Cross-Border Information Gathering in Asia and Elsewhere" (2017 NAPABA Convention, Washington, DC, November 2017)
  • Speaker "Patent Mediation: What is the Future?" (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference, San Francisco, April 2017)
  • Speaker, "Making the Most Out of Your Motions in Limine" (PLI’s California Trial Evidence 2016, October 2016)
  • Co-author, "Preparing for Life Under the New US and European Trade Secret Laws" (ACC Docket, September 2016)
  • Speaker, "Foreign Subsidiaries" (Managing Intellectual Property Trade Secrets Forum, September 2016)
  • Co-author, "What The New Trade Secrets Law Means for U.S. Companies" (Fast Company, May 2016)
  • Co-author, "Litigation Funding: Levelling the Playing Field" (Legal Business, April 2016)
  • Moderator, "Patentability of Software and Business Method Patents in the Age of Alice" (ALM IP Trademark, Copyright & Licensing Counsel Forum, New York, November 2015)
  • Co-author, “Whip Laches: IP Managers Beware” (Intellectual Property Magazine, November 2015)
  • Speaker, "Intellectual Property Roundtable" (California Lawyer, October 2014)
  • Speaker, "The Audience Is Watching: Presenting to Juries, the Press, Opposing Counsel, and the Next Client" (Bar Association of San Francisco Bench Bar Conference, October 2013)
SERVICES

Credentials

Admissions

  • California
  • New York
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Trial Bar
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
  • Executive Office for Immigration Review

Education

  • Harvard Law School, JD
  • Harvard College, AB

Accolades

  • IAM Strategy 300 Global Leader
  • IAM Patent 1000
  • The American Lawyer "Litigator of the Week"
  • Daily Journal Top Intellectual Property Lawyers 2025
  • Recommended - World IP Review Global Trade Secrets 2025
  • Lawdragon, 500 Leading Litigators in America
  • Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star
  • Benchmark Litigation, National Practice Area Star

Engagements

Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation

  • In Propel Fuels Inc. v. Phillips 66 Co., Kobre & Kim won a US $604.9 million jury verdict on behalf of its startup client, an innovator in renewable fuels, following a terminated acquisition by oil major Phillips 66. Secured after a five-week trial in the Superior Court of California, the victory was already the most significant trade secret verdict of the previous three years and the fifth-largest verdict of any kind in 2024. The jury also found Phillips 66’s misconduct willful and malicious— entitling Propel to US $195 million additional exemplary damages and pre-judgment interest per a subsequent order issued on July 30, 2025, bringing the total award to Propel to more than US $833 million with the possibility of an additional award of attorneys’ fees and costs to be added later.
  • Representation of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian government’s science agency and the inventor of the core technology underlying the IEEE 802.11a, g, n and ac wireless LAN standards, commonly known as Wi-Fi. The litigation ranks among the most successful recent efforts to enforce a single patent, resulting in payments to CSIRO totaling US $400 million+. In commending CSIRO’s inventors, the European Patent Office lauded the litigation as “a tremendous success,” stating that “only a few universities around the world are able to successfully commercialize their R&D by patenting their technologies, in particular to the scale of several hundred million dollars. One such exception is CSIRO[.]”
  • Representation of leading enterprise banking software developer in claims involving trade secret misappropriation and breach of copyright relating to modification of source code for client’s core product by a Big Four bank.
  • Representation involving an infringement suit challenging a client’s innovative designs for prefabricated concrete slabs promising lower costs for billions of dollars in highway construction and other public infrastructure projects. The client successfully turned back its competitor’s strategic litigation seeking to drive it from the market and ultimately resolved the litigation on favorable terms, allowing it continued freedom to operate.
  • Representation of an industry-leading technology company against civil and criminal allegations of trade secret misappropriation involving alleged hacking of competitor’s computer systems.
  • Representation of a Netherlands engineering design company in positioning its European and U.S. patent portfolio covering datacenter-cooling technology, successfully protecting its innovative designs currently in use and slated for installation around the world.
  • Representation of an American consumer products manufacturer in trademark and trade dress dispute whose key product design had been copied by a Chinese manufacturer and distributed globally by a U.S. brand company. Aggressive prelitigation action resulted in complete and immediate cessation of all infringing activity.
  • Representation of a leading developer of enterprise-level email archiving software against patent infringement claims brought by a well-known patent aggregation and enforcement entity in the Eastern District of Texas, with speedy resolution on extremely favorable terms.
  • Successful opposition, through appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, of an effort to disqualify a prominent law firm in a multiparty patent litigation.
  • Representation of Spanish R&D company Fractus S.A. in several patent infringement actions against the major U.S. cellular carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) and two antenna manufacturers. After a successful trial representation in the Eastern District of Texas, Kobre & Kim obtained a favorable out-of-court settlement for the client resulting in the transfer of its base station antenna technology patent portfolio.

Government Enforcement Defense

  • Representation of two British citizens in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement action alleging securities fraud in connection with investor relations and stock promotion activities.
  • Representation of NFL franchise in connection with antitrust claims involving construction of new stadium.
  • Representation of an American enterprise software company in civil claims and a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into alleged violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

  • Representation of an international medical device supplier in civil litigation and a related federal investigation into alleged fraud in connection with a government procurement.
  • Representation of card company in a multibillion-dollar antitrust dispute relating to monopolization of the bank-issued credit and charge cards market.
  • Defense at trial court and appellate levels of prominent law firm alleged to have disqualifying conflict of interest relating to high-stakes dispute.
  • Representation of the CEO of a public Taiwanese electronics manufacturing company in an action brought by an American retailer against a number of Asian suppliers alleging participation in a US $65 million insider fraud. The case was successfully resolved on favorable terms shortly before trial.
  • Representation of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors in multiple cases, including arbitration of a contract dispute with high-profile personnel.
  • Representation of an enterprise software company over a dispute involving a high-value license with Cisco Systems Inc.

News

Professional & Community Involvement

  • East Bay Community Law Center, Chair of the Board of Directors
  • American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section, Member and Former Subcommittee Chair of Patent Exhaustion
  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Member
  • San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Member

Publications & Presentations

  • Speaker, "Cross-border trade secret litigation" (Sedona Conference on Developing Best Practices for Trade Secret Issues, Scottsdale, December 2017)
  • Moderator, "Internal Investigations and the Global Enterprise: Cross-Border Information Gathering in Asia and Elsewhere" (2017 NAPABA Convention, Washington, DC, November 2017)
  • Speaker "Patent Mediation: What is the Future?" (ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference, San Francisco, April 2017)
  • Speaker, "Making the Most Out of Your Motions in Limine" (PLI’s California Trial Evidence 2016, October 2016)
  • Co-author, "Preparing for Life Under the New US and European Trade Secret Laws" (ACC Docket, September 2016)
  • Speaker, "Foreign Subsidiaries" (Managing Intellectual Property Trade Secrets Forum, September 2016)
  • Co-author, "What The New Trade Secrets Law Means for U.S. Companies" (Fast Company, May 2016)
  • Co-author, "Litigation Funding: Levelling the Playing Field" (Legal Business, April 2016)
  • Moderator, "Patentability of Software and Business Method Patents in the Age of Alice" (ALM IP Trademark, Copyright & Licensing Counsel Forum, New York, November 2015)
  • Co-author, “Whip Laches: IP Managers Beware” (Intellectual Property Magazine, November 2015)
  • Speaker, "Intellectual Property Roundtable" (California Lawyer, October 2014)
  • Speaker, "The Audience Is Watching: Presenting to Juries, the Press, Opposing Counsel, and the Next Client" (Bar Association of San Francisco Bench Bar Conference, October 2013)

"He is a long-time trusted adviser, thanks to his impeccable judgement, spot-on legal advice and in-depth knowledge of intellectual property and litigation finance. Michael has a strong strategic mindset and often thinks outside of the box to analyze matters quickly and reach conclusions effectively. He conveys his arguments confidently and supports his views with evidence."

– IAM Patent 1000