Thomas J. Derbish
Associate
- WASHINGTON, D.C. Phone: 202-451-4937 Fax: 202-451-4901
Mr. 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, Mr. Derbish 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, Mr. Derbish 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, Mr. Derbish 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.
After law school, Mr. Derbish 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, Mr. Derbish 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, Mr. Derbish 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
Other Distiinctions
- U.S. News & World Report, Best Lawyers, Ones to Watch - Patent Litigation, Patent Law
- IBM Owes $19.5M In EDTX Trial Over 'Blockchain' Software -Law360, September 27, 2024
- Desmarais LLP Obtains Veterans Appeals Victory for Navy Veteran Seeking Disability Benefits
- Best Lawyers Names John Desmarais ‘Lawyer of the Year,’ Honors 10 Desmarais LLP Attorneys in 2026 Rankings
- 4 Attorneys Spotlighted in Annual Desmarais LLP Pro Bono Challenge
- Desmarais LLP Secures Pro Bono Win in Veteran’s Agent Orange Case
- Desmarais LLP Recognized as Veterans Consortium Pro Bono ‘VIP’
EDUCATION
Harvard Law School, J.D., 2017, cum laude; Submissions Manager, Harvard Journal of Law & Technology; Dean’s Scholar Prizes for outstanding performance in Corporations, Patent Litigation Workshop, and Veterans Law Clinical SeminarInter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, Yokohama, Japan, 2012
Williams College, B.A., double major in Physics (with honors) and Japanese, 2008
ADMISSIONS
2021 District of Columbia2018, New York