Justin Culbertson, Ph.D.

Justin Culbertson is an associate at our Washington D.C. office. His practice focuses on intellectual property law, with emphasis on patent prosecution, strategic counseling, and worldwide patent portfolio management in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology fields. Justin advises and counsels diverse clients, including early stage and established companies, research institutions, and investment firms on how to best develop, leverage and enforce their IP assets. Justin has extensive experience in international patent prosecution, having prosecuted applications in over 20 jurisdictions worldwide. In addition to advising client on IP strategy, Justin has counseled clients in licensing, due diligence, and patentability analyses.

Prior to joining Knobbe Martens, Justin completed a J.D. at the University of Illinois College of Law where he participated in an IP clinic to help student inventors gain IP rights. He also participated in a mortgage foreclosure clinic helping families retain their homes in foreclosure. While in law school at the University of Illinois, Justin was a professor at Parkland College teaching organic chemistry.

Prior to law school, Justin earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Davis. His interdisciplinary graduate research involved the design and mechanistic evaluation of small molecule inhibitors of the chorismate-utilizing enzymes. His studies helped him gain a deep understanding of small molecule synthesis, purification techniques, protein engineering and design, x-ray crystallography, and molecular biology.

Between graduate school and his undergrad, Justin spent a summer working at GlaxoSmithKline synthesizing vaccine adjuvants.