Michael Gerity
Estate Planning, Business and Bankruptcy Pros
Michael Gerity is a distinguished attorney in Arizona who brings a wealth of experience to every case. Whether representing a client with a commercial or intellectual property dispute, or providing legal advice for a business entrepreneur, Mr. Gerity is an aggressive and reliable lawyer who knows how to get the results clients need. He is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell in recognition of his high ethical standards and professional ability and has been selected by the American Institute of Legal Counsel for its 10 Best in Arizona list in client satisfaction for 2016 in the Litigation, Lawsuits & Disputes Division. His law firm has also been selected for inclusion in the Law Firm 500 as one of the top 100 fastest growing firms in the entire country.
Mr. Gerity has been admitted to practice law in Arizona State and Federal courts since graduating from the Arizona State University College of Law in 1994. He also is admitted to practice law in Colorado and before the United States Patent and Trademark office.
Prior to forming Israel & Gerity, PLLC, Mr. Gerity clerked for the Chief Judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals, served as a deputy public defender, where he received extensive trial experience, and worked for several years at a large civil litigation law firm in Phoenix. He then formed his own firm, and also served as Of Counsel to a prestigious boutique commercial litigation firm. In law school, Mr. Gerity was an Associate Note and Comment Editor for the Arizona State Law Journal, received honors in legal research and writing, and was awarded Best Appellate Brief. Mr. Gerity received his Bachelor of Science degree from Colorado State University in 1990.
Mr. Gerity has taught classes and given presentations on a wide variety of topics. Mr. Gerity’s practice areas include business formation and representation, bankruptcy, estate planning and trusts, general civil litigation and commercial litigation, and intellectual property.
- Arizona State University
- J.D. (1994) | Law
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- Honors: Arizona State Law Journal Associate Note and Comment Editor; Best Appellate Brief, First Year Moot Court Competition; Honors, Legal Research and Writing; East Valley Bar Association Scholarship Recipient
- Activities: Assistant Project Director, Homeless Legal Assistance Project; Treasurer, Student Bar Association; Student Fellow, Center for Law, Science and Technology
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- Colorado State University
- B.S. (1990) | Biology, anatomy, psychology
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- Honors: Dean’s List; Colorado State University Honor’s Program; Elf-Aquitaine Academic Scholarship
- Activities: Raptor Program (reintegrating injured birds of prey)
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- Owner
- Estate Planning, Business and Bankruptcy Pros
- - Current
- Managing Partner
- Israel & Gerity, PLLC
- - Current
- Owner
- Law Offices of Michael Gerity, PC
- - Current
- Of Counsel
- Meyer, Hendricks & Bivens, PC
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- Associate
- Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC
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- Deputy Public Defender
- Maricopa County Public Defender's Office
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- Clerk
- Judge Thomas C. Kleinschmidt, Arizona Court of Appeals
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- Legal Clerk
- Honeywell
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- Legal Clerk
- Arizona Attorney General’s Office
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- The America Invents Act: Changes to the US Patent Laws and an Overview of Intellectual Property Law, First Friday Connect CLE Group, Scottsdale, AZ
- First Friday Connect CLE Group
- Basic Collection Practice, First Friday Connect CLE Group, Phoenix, AZ
- First Friday Connect CLE Group
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Arizona Department of health Services
- AV Preeminent Peer Rating
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Peer rated for highest level of professional excellence; 5.0 out of 5.0 rating.
- 10.0 Rating - Superb
- Avvo
- 2016 Honoree - Fastest Growing Law Firms
- Law Firm 500
- Named as one of the 100 fastest growing law firms in America
- 10 Best Client Satisfaction - Litigation, Lawsuits & Disputes Division
- American Institute of Legal Counsel
- National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Counsel
- Member
- - Current
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- Arizona Consumer Bankruptcy Counsel
- Member
- - Current
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- American Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- Colorado State Bar # 29202
- Licensed Attorney
- - Current
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- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office # 41776
- Licensed Attorney
- - Current
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- Arizona State Bar # 015750
- Licensed Attorney
- - Current
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- Arizona
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- Colorado
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- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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- Federal Circuit
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- Free Consultation
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Contingent Fees
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Bankruptcy
- Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, Debt Relief
- Intellectual Property
- Trademarks
- Trademark Litigation, Trademark Registration
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- English: Spoken, Written
- Spanish: Written
- Q. Copyright Lawsuit - ESI
- A: Well, this isn't really a copyright question, but an evidentiary question. The failure to preserve or produce relevant evidence in a civil case can have consequences to the party who failed to preserve/produce. The legal concept is called spoliation. You should research that topic to address in any motion that you file. Take a look at the Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules 37, 45.2, and 26(b). However, it sounds like your case is getting pretty far "into the weeds," and may be headed for trial. I find it really hard to recommend any party to take a case to trial without counsel, and similarly, if the case is destined to go to trial, it's hard to recommend that ... Read More
- Q. Can I use the name “Lakers” on purple t-shirts?
- A: This is a trademark issue, and the Lakers franchise has well-established trademarks on the Lakers name for use with clothing and other sporting goods. The question when analyzing trademark infringement is whether or not there is a reasonable likelihood of confusion as to the source of the goods in question. It should be pretty clear that a possible buyer for a tee-shirt would might think that a purple shirt bearing the word "Lakers" was produced by the actual franchise, and not by you, so infringement is clear. In fact, even if you argue that you don't use the logo and you make it clear that you aren't affiliated with the actual Lakers, they would likely have a separate ... Read More
- Q. I would like if I didn't infringe any trademark right and I get suit, what can I do?
- A: Hello, and I'm sorry to hear that you have been sued. Unfortunately, a lawsuit in the US District Court is a very serious matter. There are lots of issues that you need to explore, and at minimum, you will need to respond to the Complaint (usually by filing an answer or motion to dismiss) before the deadline. Just as some examples of important issues, if you are based in Hong Kong, I'm wondering how they established jurisdiction against you in the US. Did they serve you with the Complaint? How? Also, if you have never produced the products, what is the basis for the claim.
If there is already an Order, which was used to get your PayPal account suspended, it sounds like you ... Read More
TrademarkIt Profile Video - Michael Gerity