Paul Michel

Chief Judge (retired), US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

IP Hall of Fame inductee in 2010

As a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for the last 20 years, Paul Michel helped shape the landscape of patent law in the US and handed down some of the court’s most important judgments. He joined the court in 1988 and assumed the duties of Chief Judge in 2004 – a post he held until his retirement in May 2010.

Michel has written over 800 opinions during his time on the bench. In 2005 he was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve as one of seven judges on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference.