Of Counsel
Location: 551 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10176
Phone: 212-661-5030
Direct: 516-747-3200
Email: Email Me
Michael Steger’s intellectual property practice includes the protection of trademarks and copyrights, through litigation, prosecution and transactional work. He counsels clients on trademark registration and prosecution, copyright registration, trade secrets and other intellectual property litigation, and counseling on corporate branding. He regularly handles copyright litigation matters in federal court, including the infringement of copyrights in the fashion, photography, technology and entertainment industries. Mr. Steger also appears before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in trademark disputes, as well as assisting clients with the licensing and transfer of intellectual property.
Mr. Steger has acted as the lead trial lawyer in several jury and non-jury trials, as well as multiple arbitrations. Mr. Steger’s entertainment practice focuses on film, television, internet and music projects, and he represents producers, artists, writers, directors and production companies. Among other matters, he has handled film, television and online financing, production, distribution and syndication agreements.
Mr. Steger spent five years as in-house counsel for a major television producer, working on networking and syndicated television production. He handled business and legal affairs in that role, where his portfolio included entertainment, media, intellectual property, internet, litigation and employment matters.
Areas of Practice:
- Intellectual Property and Technology
Education:
- B.A. University of Virginia (1989)
- M.A. University of Virginia, International Relations (1993)
- J.D. University of Virginia (1993)
Bar Admissions:
- New York
- Virginia
- District of Columbia (Inactive)
- California (Inactive)
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Awards and Affiliations:
- American Bar Association: Section of Litigation (Regional CLE Committee Co-Chair 2021-present; Intellectual Property Litigation Committee Co-Chair 2018-2021); Entertainment and Sports Law Forum; Communications Law Forum; GP/Solo Section).
- New York City Bar: Member of the Trademarks and Unfair Competition Committee
- New York Super Lawyers 2020-2021
- “Best Intellectual Property Attorney for Growing Businesses” – New York Enterprise Report Magazine (2010).
Recent Publications:
- “Clearing the Deadwood: A Guide to Tools Used to Cancel Dormant Trademark Registrations” ABA Intellectual Property Litigation Winter 2022
- “A New Paradigm: Awards of Attorney’s Fees Under the Lanham Act Post-Octane Fitness” ABA Intellectual Property Litigation Newsletter Fall 2016
- “The Sky Did Not Fall: The Supreme Court Invalidated Online Retransmission of Broadcast Television in American Broadcasting Companies v. Aereo, Inc.” Computer & Internet Lawyer, November 2014
