Overview
Michael Brightman achieves exceptional results for clients in high-stakes technology and business disputes. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in trade-secret, patent, antitrust, and other complex commercial matters. Recognized by Lawdragon and Thomson Reuters as a leading lawyer of his generation, Michael brings technical fluency, strategic judgment, and persuasive advocacy to every stage of litigation.
HIGHLIGHTS
Michael won a $175 million jury verdict for HouseCanary in a landmark trade-secret theft and fraud case against Amrock. He presented HouseCanary’s technical expert through three days of trial testimony, defeated efforts to exclude critical expert opinions, uncovered evidence that Amrock destroyed laptops used to develop the accused technology, and obtained significant sanctions that shaped the presentation of evidence at trial. Law360 profiled this trial victory, naming Michael and a team from Susman Godfrey Legal Lions of the Week. Read more.
Michael represented Veeva Systems, a publicly traded CRM and master data management technology company, in high-profile trade-secret and antitrust litigation against IQVIA. Michael briefed and argued summary judgment and secured pretrial victories that positioned Veeva for a successful resolution: IQVIA dismissed its trade-secret claims without payment while Veeva achieved its core business objectives. Among other victories, Michael persuaded the court that IQVIA improperly used attorney-client privilege as both a sword and shield, resulting in a broad privilege waiver involving the communications of IQVIA’s lead witness. Read more.
Michael’s recent experience also includes high-stakes patent litigation. He represents Transparence, LLC in its dispute against Samsung over user-interface technology, where he argued claim construction, secured favorable rulings on disputed terms, and conducted witness examinations in Korea. He also represented Neonode Smartphone LLC in a widely followed patent infringement case against Samsung that resolved favorably.
“Michael masterfully navigated through a set of challenging legal arguments . . . . He has a true passion for the law, and it showed by his successful performance in resolving this long-standing litigation matter. Michael is a consummate professional. He demonstrated initiative, maturity and experience beyond his years, an unparalleled work ethic, dedication to his job, loyalty to his law firm, and skillful representation to our organization.”
Scott D. Booth, Project Manager, KBR, Inc.
“I just wanted to tell you again how wonderful your oral argument was today. You were tremendously prepared and handled yourself beautifully. You were a credit to your firm.”
Theodore J. Leopold, Partner and Co-Chair of Complex Tort Litigation and Consumer Protection practice groups, Cohen Milstein
Background
Before joining Susman Godfrey, Michael clerked for Judge Stanley Marcus of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Michael earned his J.D. with high honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was selected as a Kirkland & Ellis Scholar and elected to the Order of the Coif. He also served on the University of Chicago Law Review and finished as a semifinalist in the Edward W. Hinton Moot Court Competition. Michael received his B.A. cum laude from New York University. Before entering law school, Michael organized door-to-door canvassing campaigns for nonprofit organizations.
Notable Representations
- HouseCanary, Inc. v. Amrock / Rocket Close (Bexar County, Texas) Serving as counsel to real estate analytics company, HouseCanary, in a trade-secret and fraud dispute against Amrock (now Rocket Close). Following a four-week trial, a San Antonio jury awarded $175 million in damages after finding that Amrock misappropriated HouseCanary’s proprietary home-valuation technology and defrauded the company—marking the second jury to conclude that Amrock stole HouseCanary’s trade secrets. Read more.
- IQVIA, Inc. v. Veeva Systems (D.N.J.) Served as counsel to Veeva Systems, a publicly traded CRM and master data management technology company, in multiple high-stakes antitrust and trade-secret matters against healthcare data and information technology provider IQVIA, Inc. The litigation resolved with IQVIA dismissing its trade-secret claims without payment. Read more.
- Nueces County v. Corpus Christi Housing Authority (Nueces County, Texas) Representing Intervenors in a dispute regarding public-housing agreements, Michael and his team obtained a temporary restraining order barring the Housing Authority from taking any action to impair its obligations to Intervenors. Read more.
- Transparence, LLC v. Samsung Elecs. Co. (E.D. Tex.) Representing Transparence in patent litigation against Samsung involving graphical-user-interface technology. Michael argued claim construction and prevailed on key disputed terms. He also took and defended critical technical and inventor depositions.
- Neonode Smartphone, LLC v. Samsung Elecs. Co. (W.D. Tex.) Represented Neonode in a closely watched patent infringement action against Samsung involving smartphone interface technology. Michael took key depositions, helped shape the technical case, and developed testimony that contributed to a substantial confidential settlement. Read more.
- Kern River Corridor Endowment Co. v. Chevron (Kern County, California) Secured settlement on the eve of trial on behalf of repeat client, Chevron, in a complex trespass dispute. Michael deposed multiple experts and drafted critical pretrial motions.
- BMC Software, Inc. v. Baker Hughes, LLC (S.D. Tex.) Successfully defended Baker Hughes against claims that its logo infringed BMC Software’s trademark. Michael briefed and won key motions, persuading the Court to reject BMC’s challenges to findings concerning its burden to prove entitlement to disgorgement of profits.
- Irizarry v. Orlando Utilities Commission (M.D. Fla.) Represented homeowners in environmental litigation against the Orlando Utilities Commission and real estate developers. Michael authored the plaintiffs’ opposition to the Commission’s sovereign-immunity motion and successfully argued the issue in federal court against a managing partner. The Court held that the Commission was not entitled to sovereign immunity either under the governing statute or as a municipal entity. The Orlando Sentinel hailed the decision as an “important victor[y].”
- Adhikari v. KBR, Inc. (S.D. Tex.) Served as counsel to KBR in Alien Tort Statute litigation involving allegations of human trafficking relating to the Iraq War. Michael played a central role in developing KBR’s defense strategy, argued critical motions, principally authored summary-judgment briefing, and prepared and presented witnesses for key depositions. The case resolved on confidential terms after the Court observed, “I don’t see a connection between the horrific allegations and KBR.”
Honors & Distinctions
Honors and Awards
- Lawdragon 500X - The Next Generation of Leading Lawyers (2025, 2026)
- Rising Star, Texas Super Lawyers (2024, 2025 Thomson Reuters)
- Legal Lions of the Week: Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week - Law360
- Order of the Coif
- Kirkland & Ellis Scholar (awarded to the top five percent of the first-year class)
- Editor, University of Chicago Law Review
- Thomas R. Mulroy Prize for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy
Clerkships
- Honorable Stanley Marcus, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 2017-2018
Education
Education
- The University of Chicago Law School (J.D., with High Honors)
- New York University (B.A., Politics, cum laude)
Admissions
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Texas
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Leadership & Professional Memberships
Associations
- Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
