Thomas J. Derbish

Thomas J. Derbish is a former federal prosecutor whose practice focuses on intellectual property litigation at both the trial and appellate level.  He has represented clients in a wide variety of technological areas, from pharmaceutical products to computer architecture and networking systems.  He also regularly serves as pro bono counsel for disabled veterans in appeals related to VA benefits.
 
After law school, Tom clerked for Judge Richard G. Taranto of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and practiced intellectual property law at Desmarais LLP.  He left Desmarais in 2021 to clerk for Chief Judge James Rodney Gilstrap of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.  Following his clerkship, Tom served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he was lead counsel on numerous bench and jury trials for crimes occurring in the D.C. area.  He left the government in 2023 and returned to Desmarais LLP.

Prior to attending law school, Tom was a technical consultant for a patent prosecution boutique in Portland, Oregon, and a professional translator and middle-school English teacher in Japan.  He is fluent in Japanese.

Prior Experience

• Associate, Desmarais LLP, New York, New York, 2018-2021
• Intern, United States Attorney’s Office, Boston, Massachusetts, 2016-2017
• Summer Associate, Baker Botts LLP, Austin, Texas, 2015, 2016
• Summer Associate, McKool Smith, Dallas, Texas, 2015

Clerk & Government Experience

• Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney's Office, Washington, DC, 2022-2023
• Law Clerk to the Hon. J. Rodney Gilstrap, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, 2021-2022 
• Law Clerk to the Hon. Richard G. Taranto, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 2017–2018

Courts

• United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
• United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit