J. Derek Vandenburgh

Derek Vandenburgh is the rare combination of a winning jury trial lawyer and a nationally recognized Federal Circuit appellate advocate. Derek has a track record of winning patent verdicts as a first-chair trial lawyer and is also one of the most active Federal Circuit advocates in the nation. His record and results are unmatched by anyone else in patent litigation today. Chambers USA states, “Derek Vandenburgh is a highly regarded practitioner with impressive experience representing clients in a range of disputes….”

Derek is a founding partner at Carlson Caspers, a leading IP and litigation law firm in Minneapolis, MN. Derek’s 25+ years of experience includes extensive litigation and patent law challenges in high-stakes patent and intellectual property cases in courts throughout the United States, including federal courts, district courts, and at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Derek has briefed and successfully argued a prolific number of appeals at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and served as lead counsel in numerous Inter Partes Reviews and other contested proceedings before the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Derek’s practice at Carlson Caspers emphasizes efficient litigation management, successful dispositive motion practice, diligent appellate work, and sound litigation counseling. He has been lead counsel at multiple jury trials and taken the leading role on dozens of claim construction and other dispositive motions on a wide variety of litigation matters, including disputes concerning patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and design patents.

Earlier in his career, Derek worked in the area of patent prosecution and clerked for the Honorable Giles S. Rich of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has taught Intellectual Property Moot Court at the University of Minnesota and patent litigation at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

In his free time, Derek enjoys his family, music, and snow skiing.