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 a seasoned intellectual property leader with decades of experience shaping IP strategy at the highest levels of industry and academia. As Director and Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, he leads the Master of Science in Patent Law and the LL.M. in Patent Law programs—preparing the next generation of IP professionals for today’s innovation-driven economy.

Before entering academia, Turoski held executive legal roles at Cargill, the largest privately held company in the U.S., where he directed global intellectual property efforts in the business and across mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestitures. As Vice President of CAN Technologies (a Cargill subsidiary), he led IP strategy for high-stakes IP issues, including a multibillion-dollar acquisition of a competitor and a multimillion-dollar software licensing program. He served as Managing Senior Counsel at Cargill, where he led a legal IP function and oversaw a worldwide network of attorneys.

Turoski’s legal treatises, published by Thomson Reuters and cited to the U.S. Supreme Court and United States Patent and Trademark Office, include:

Turoski is the former President of the National Association of Patent Practitioners. He supports nonprofit health and human services causes through board leadership roles with Minnesota Distance Elite and the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota.

Turoski began his legal career at Foley & Lardner LLP and earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he served on the Law Review.

Turoski is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, Federal Circuit, USPTO, and state and federal courts in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Books

Patent Claims (Thomson Reuters, 3d ed., 2022; rev. ed. 2023-2024 & 2024-2025)
Patent Jury Instruction Handbook (Thomson Reuters, 2025 ed.)
Assets & Finance: Intellectual Property in Mergers and Acquisitions (Thomson Reuters, 2020; rev. ed. 2021, 2023 & 2024)
The America Invents Act: A Guide to Patent Litigation and Patent Procedure (Thomson Reuters, 2021-2022 ed., 2021; rev. ed. 2023 & 2024)

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)