Chris Turoski

Christopher M. Turoski ’98

  • Assistant Professor of Patent Law Programs
438 Mondale Hall

Degrees

  • University of Minnesota Law School, J.D.

Expertise

  • Intellectual Property
  • Patent Law

Christopher M. Turoski '98 is Director and Assistant Professor of Patent Law Programs at the University of Minnesota Law School. Turoski brings two decades of progressive, real-world experience to lead the Master of Science in Patent Law and the LL.M. in Patent Law programs, which prepare students to excel in the modern business environment.

Turoski is the author of the following treatises, each published by Thomson Reuters and cited to the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office:

  1. Patent Claims;
  2. Assets & Finance: Intellectual Property in Mergers and Acquisitions;
  3. The America Invents Act: A Guide to Patent Litigation and Patent Procedure; and
  4. Patent Jury Instruction Handbook (forthcoming).

Turoski is the immediate past President of the National Association of Patent Practitioners. Previously, Turoski held executive-level positions at Cargill, the largest privately held corporation in the United States. As a vice president at CAN Technologies (a Cargill company), he led all intellectual property aspects of the company's mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, including a multibillion-dollar purchase of a primary competitor. He managed a multimillion-dollar intellectual property and software licensing program as secretary and counsel at Format Solutions (another Cargill company). Turoski also served as managing senior counsel at Cargill, where he led intellectual property matters for the company's legal acquisitions team and managed a global team of lawyers.

Turoski is a board member of Minnesota Distance Elite, a non-profit dedicated to training distance runners for National and Olympic competitions. Turoski previously served as secretary and general counsel for the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota and on the board of directors for the Minnesota Distance Running Association and the MDRA Foundation (d/b/a Run Minnesota). He began his legal career at Foley & Lardner, an international law firm. Turoski graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School magna cum laude, serving on the law review.

Turoski's court and bar admissions include the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals (Federal Circuit), U.S. District Court (Western District of Wisconsin), U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, State of Minnesota, and State of Wisconsin.

Books

Patent Claims (Thomson Reuters, 3d ed., 2022; rev. ed. 2023-2024)
The America Invents Act: A Guide to Patent Litigation and Patent Procedure (Thomson Reuters, 2021-2022 ed., 2021; rev. ed. 2023; rev. ed. 2024)
Assets & Finance: Intellectual Property in Mergers and Acquisitions (Thomson Reuters, 2020; rev. ed. 2021 & 2023)

Journal Articles

Promoting Patent Practitioner Diversity: Expanding Non-JD Pathways and Removing Barriers, 24 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law 57 (2022)
Pre-Conference Workshop—What Educators and Engineers Need to Know about Patents, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE) (2019)
The Gut Microbiome: Patent Landscape, 30(6) Agro FOOD Industry Hi Tech 14 (2019)
(with
Anil K. Sharma
)

Other Publications

We Need Reliable Data On Patent Agent, Atty Gender Diversity, Law360, June 24, 2021
Opening the Gate: Expanding non-J.D. Pathways and Removing Barriers to Better Promote Patent Practitioner Diversity,  JETLaw Blog (Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law) (May 26, 2021)
Solutions for Promoting Patent Practitioner Diversity at the USPTO in the Battle Against Systemic Racism, IP Watchdog, Apr. 15, 2021
Intellectual Property Owners Association Patent Search Committee, Commissioning and Reviewing a Patent Landscape Study (2020) (contributor)
Patent Filings Indicate Continued Growth in Gut Microbiome Market, IFT: Brain Food (Aug. 30, 2019)
(with
Anil K. Sharma
)
2009 Trade Secrets Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, Competitive Intelligence White Paper (Sept. 1, 2009)
(with
Gina Culbert
and
Carey Jordan
)

Selected Legal Briefs

Brief of Professor Christopher M. Turoski and the National Association of Patent Practitioners as Amici Curiae in Support of Petitioner, Vanda Pharmaceuticals v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, No. 23-768 (U.S. filed Feb. 16, 2024)