Partner
Derek Dahlgren is a Partner at Devlin Law Firm LLC. Derek’s practice encompasses all aspects of patent law including patent litigation, post-grant practice, patent prosecution, opinions and counseling. Derek has litigated a variety of patent matters in district courts throughout the country, ranging from Hatch-Waxman cases involving pharmaceuticals to cases involving smartphones and mobile Internet technology. Derek also has substantial experience with ex parte reexaminations and contested matters before the USPTO, including interferences and post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Derek was part of the team involved in the first covered business method patent review under the AIA.
Derek’s practice covers a broad range of diverse technologies. He has worked on matters involving pharmaceuticals, material science, medical devices, petrochemical, semiconductor and industrial systems, mechanical equipment, laboratory and diagnostic equipment, dietary supplements, batteries, exhaust gas aftertreatment systems, insulation, and business methods. Derek also has experience with computer software and Internet technologies such as those relating to firewalls, e-commerce platforms, Internet search methodologies, financial and investment systems, content management systems, and social networks.
Derek first joined a D.C.-based intellectual property boutique as a law clerk and worked full-time while attending the Georgetown University Law Center. Derek later joined that firm as an associate after graduating magna cum laude from Georgetown where his achievements placed him in the top 3% of his graduating class. Derek left the firm from 2013-2014 to serve as a law clerk to then-Chief Judge Randall R. Rader at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Derek graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. While an undergraduate, he participated on the Varsity Men’s Lacrosse team, which won consecutive Patriot League Championships while he was there. After graduation, Derek worked in the defense industry as an engineer responsible for developing a variety of chemical and biological detection systems. During that time, he also earned an M.S. in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University.
Derek regularly writes about various developments in the law, including issues pertaining to patents, trade secrets, trademarks, as well as other fields such as antitrust and privacy. Derek is also a member of the PTAB Bar’s Committee on Appeals and the Federal Circuit Bar Association’s Rules Committee. Derek has also been a member and officer of the Giles S. Rich American Inn of Court in Washington, DC, which is dedicated to fostering professionalism, ethics, civility, and legal skills in the area of intellectual property.
* Attorney is not barred in Delaware
Devlin Law Firm provides expert-level patent and intellectual property litigation, strategy, and management services to companies and individuals around the globe.