Michael A. Cordier is a trusted advisor and advocate for businesses and business people. For many of his clients, Mr. Cordier serves the role as outside general counsel. For new clients, he invests the time necessary to fully understand the client, the client's goals, and the client's business. By doing so, Mr. Cordier provides cost-effective, personal legal representation in most areas his clients encounter.
Mr. Cordier represents a wide variety of clients. His transactional and litigation practice is concentrated in the areas of: construction and real estate, including lien enforcement and commercial eviction actions; intellectual property law, including copyright, trademark, patent litigation, and the licensing and protection of intellectual property and trade secrets; and, representing employers in employment and civil rights matters, including representation in state, federal and administrative proceedings. He also creates business entities, maintains them for his clients, and help them through transitions such as taking on new partners, owners or members; buyings or selling businesses, and making sure that they are compliant with local, state or federal regulations.
Mr. Cordier, an Arizona native, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona, and received his juris doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Presentations:
- Arizona Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (1999), Co-Chairman and Guest Speaker. Program Co-Chairman and Guest Speaker. Co-chaired a seminar entitled E-mail in the Workplace presented to the public. The program was a discussion on the positive and negative impact of use of e-mail in business, including employee confidentiality, employer liability, and use by a party in litigation.
- State Bar of Arizona, Corporate and Business Litigation Sub-Section (1997); Chairman and Guest Speaker. Chaired a seminar entitled Trade Secret Litigation present to members of the State Bar of Arizona, Business Section & Litigation Section. The program was focused on the protection of trade secrets by a business entity, the drafting and enforcement of confidentiality, non-disclosure and employment agreements.
- Arizona Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (1997), Chairman and Guest Speaker. Chaired a seminar entitled Copyright Basics for Artists presented to an audience of artists and members of community arts organizations. The discussion was a primer on basic copyright law including exclusive rights granted to artists under the Copyright Statutes, use of copyright notices, copyright registration procedures, and a discussion of artists’ moral rights.
- Southwest Arts Conference (1997), Guest Speaker. Delivered presentation regarding the National Arts Stabilization Project to an audience of officers, directors and management of state-wide arts organizations. The presentation included a discussion of corporate governance, fiduciary duties and internal governance topics as a part of the National Arts Stabilization process.
- State Bar of Arizona, Corporate and Business Litigation Sub-Section (1996), Chairman and Organizer. Organized a continuing legal education seminar for sub-section on the topic of discovery of computer based evidence entitled The Pitfalls and Opportunities of Computer Based Evidence. The discussion centered on discovery rules and the use of discovery to obtain electronically stored data. Topics of discussion also included information on how and when to use computer experts in the reconstruction of electronically stored data.
- Arizona Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (1996), Program Chairman and Guest Speaker – Chaired a seminar entitled Contract Basics for Artists presented to an audience of artists and members of community art organizations. The discussion was a primer of contract law, including discussion of fiduciary relationships with gallery owners pursuant to Arizona statute and general discussion on negotiating and the entering into of contracts.
