Christopher J. Falkowski

FALKOWSKI PLLC

P.O. Box 650

Novi, Michigan 48374

Phone (248) 894-3796

Fax (248) 412-4078

Chris@FalkowskiPLLC.com

WORK HISTORY 

    Falkowski PLLC, Member, May 2005 - Present                           

    Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP                              

            Partner, January 2005 - May 2005

            Associate, May 2004 - January 2005

    Rader Fishman & Grauer PLLC, Associate, February 2001 - May 2004                                   

    Computer Sciences Corporation, Counsel, March 1999 - January 2001

    Raymond & Prokop, PC, Associate, January 1997 - March 1999

    Computer Sciences Corporation, Associate Consultant, August 1992 - April 1994

WORK EXPERIENCE - LEGAL

• Business Transactions

• Negotiation of software transactions with prominent vendors such as Microsoft, IBM, EDS, and Oracle.

• Drafted transaction documents for:

• software licenses;

• joint research and development agreements;

• information technology outsourcing contracts;

• software development agreements;

• consulting contracts;

• escrow agreements;

• distribution/resale agreements; and

• divestitures involving information technology and intellectual property.

• Intellectual Property

• Preparation and prosecution of patent, copyright, and trademark applications.

• Patent prosecution work includes:

• embedded computers in automotive application

• tools for creating and analyzing CAD drawings;

• image processing algorithms;

• intelligent sensor systems;

• software tools for debugging and profiling runtime environments;

• integrative device management software;

• financial applications incorporating embedded accounting intelligence; 

• memory management algorithms; and

• online transaction systems.

• Patentability opinions.

• Non-infringement opinions.

• Infringement opinions.

• Invalidity opinions.

• Intellectual property education for engineers and in-house attorneys.

• Litigation/Dispute Resolution

• Litigation and arbitration of software development disputes.

• Co-counsel assistance for intellectual property disputes.

• Drafting of "cease and desist" letters.

• Drafting responses to "cease and desist" letters.

WORK EXPERIENCE - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• Application designer and developer across several different platforms, networks, and databases.

• Professional programming experience in the languages of C++, C, COBOL, PowerBuilder, and Visual Basic.

• Contributed to the building of a reusable object-oriented toolkit for PowerBuilder software development.

• Assisted in the design of object libraries and data base tables.

• Team leader and programmer/analyst for the rebates functionality of a pharmaceutical management system.

• Created and implemented  of unit and system test plans.

EDUCATION

    University of Michigan Law School, J.D. awarded in May 1997.

• Article Editor for the Michigan Telecommunication and Technology Law Review.

•  Newsletter editor for the Intellectual Property Student Association.

    Northwestern University, B.S. awarded in June 1992.

• Majored in Industrial Engineering and Management Science.

• Significant coursework in information technology and computer science, including programming, data design, and computer aided manufacturing.

• Significant coursework in manufacturing, including CIM, manufacturing simulation, statistics, and operations research.

PRESENTATIONS

• “The Law of the Internet in Michigan.”  Seminar by the National Business Institute in Southfield, Michigan on January 16, 2003.

•  “The Impact of Bankruptcy on Your Technology Transfer.”  The American Conference Institute’s 3rd Annual Institute on “Technology Transfers” in New York City on June 21, 2000.

• “Planning the Successful Joint Venture of Strategic Alliance: Tips, Traps, and Techniques from In-House Counsel.”  The American Conference Institute’s 3rd Annual Institute on “Technology Transfers” in New York City on June 22, 2000.

• “Software Licensing.”  The American Conference Institute Conference on “Licensing Intellectual Property” in Chicago on June 6, 2000.

• “Find it Free and Fast on the Net: Advance Internet Strategies for the Michigan Legal Professional.”  Seminar by National Business Institute in Southfield, Michigan on April 28, 2005.

• “Internet Strategies for the Paralegal in Michigan.”  Institute of Paralegal Education in Southfield, Michigan on February 3, 1999.

PUBLICATIONS

•  “Open Source Licensing: An Innovation in Contract Drafting,” Michigan Bar Journal, Pages 30-35 (Volume 84 No. 5 May 2005).

• “Software-Related Patents: Risks and Opportunities,” Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Page 4 (October 11, 2004).

• Editor of the Michigan Computer Lawyer from September 1998 through March 2001.

• “’Win-Win’ Transaction in the Licensing of Custom Made Object-Oriented Software,” The Michigan Computer Lawyer, Volume 15 No. 3, (Spring 1998).

• Co-author of chapters titled “Damages in Breach of Contract Cases” and “Contract Interpretation and the Parol Evidence Rule” in the ICLE publication, Michigan Contract Law (1998).

• Co-author of “UCC 9-318: Drafting Contracts So That Set-Off Rights Are Preserved,” Michigan Business Law Journal (Volume XIX, Issue Number 1 1998).

• Author of paper on Article 2B warranties titled “2B-401: Warranty Against Infringement.”