Michael T. Zoppo ’01 is on a Mission to Help Inventors Protect Their Work

Even before Michael T. Zoppo ’01 set foot onto the Stevens campus, he was innovating. “I had created AuctionPC.com, an early e-commerce website that was recognized by Fast Company magazine as one of the first cyber shopping auctions,” he says.

Stevens came into view thanks to a close family friend who is also an alum. “I was already leaning toward sciences and tech,” Zoppo recalls. “The minute I saw the campus, I knew that Stevens was the right place for me.”

Zoppo’s original intention was to study computer engineering. “I was running AuctionPC.com and it was succeeding,” he says. “In fact, my earnings were paying for my tuition. But then I found out that one of my business partners was taking money out of the company. It was a hard lesson to learn at 19, but it was also transformative.”

“I was a bit lost,” Zoppo continues. “I thought I had everything planned, and now I wanted to wash my hands of the computer field. My dad mentioned that he always thought I would be a good lawyer and suggested looking into patent law.”

Zoppo had taken – and loved – a materials engineering class. He switched majors and started researching his father’s suggested path. Soon he was writing out patent applications as a technical advisor at Ward & Olivo LLP, a small patent law firm. He discovered a passion for helping inventors protect their inventions.

Zoppo augmented his studies in materials engineering with a double major in philosophy. “I thought philosophy would help me build my communications skills,” he explains. “It was fun and interesting, and helped me to think in a more argumentative way. The reading and writing, and the classroom debates in particular, inspired me to consider the litigation aspects of patent law.”

Zoppo stayed with Ward & Olivo while earning a J.D. at Rutgers Law School and serving as managing editor of the Rutgers Law Review, before moving on to Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP for two years as an associate. In 2006, he joined Fish & Richardson P.C., the country’s top patent litigation firm. He has been with Fish & Richardson for nearly 19 years, first as an associate and later as a principal, focusing on intellectual property litigation and counseling for financial services companies, branded pharma and other cutting-edge innovators.

“As a trial lawyer, I focus on patent and trade secret disputes that have a technology element,” Zoppo says. “Communication is key. I must be able to relate complex information to people who might not have technical knowledge. Every day is different and interesting. I work one-to-one with some of the world’s most renowned research and industry experts to learn about very narrow – yet amazingly impactful – slices of technology.”

“Also, I love to win,” he adds.

One of those wins involved the Chicago Board Options Exchange (Cboe). “I led a strategy for Cboe that forced the patentee to consent to adverse judgment right before openings were to begin. The rulings underlying that strategy were affirmed by the Federal Circuit, and the District Court awarded Cboe over six million dollars in attorneys' fees.”

The case was profiled by IP Law360 in its "How They Won It" series and earned Fish & Richardson inclusion on the National Law Journal Intellectual Property Hot List. Other victories, for clients like USAA and MIAX, have also earned recognition.

Zoppo was named an IAM Top Patent Professional every year since 2018, a Super Lawyers New York Metro Area Rising Star in Intellectual Property Litigation from 2013 to 2017, and a New York Law Journal Rising Star in 2017. He has contributed articles to Law360 and Bloomberg Law as well.

Zoppo had been informally mentoring students for years when he was invited to be part of a special program for Stevens students wanting to learn more about careers in law. “Stevens is a uniquely challenging environment, in a good way,” he says. “It is rigorous and competitive, and you need to work really hard and take in a high volume of information. Those skills prepare you for the demands of law school, and for success and leadership in a law firm.”

“I look forward to expanding my involvement at Stevens,” Zoppo says. “There is no one better to let young people know what awaits them than an alumnus who has already walked that path. Students have a lot of questions that go beyond the curriculum, and alumni have so much to share about the real world.”

The message Zoppo most hopes students will take away from his presentations is to appreciate the value of relationships. “Most deals get done face to face,” he advises. “Pursue direct human interaction. Get better at conversations. Exercise your social muscles. People do business with people they know and like.”