Justin E. Culbertson, Ph.D.

Justin Culbertson practices intellectual property law, with emphasis on patent prosecution and strategy in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech fields.

Prior to joining Knobbe Martens, Dr. Culbertson 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, Dr. Culbertson was a professor at Parkland College teaching organic chemistry.

Prior to law school, Dr. Culbertson 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, Dr. Culbertson spent a summer working at GlaxoSmithKline synthesizing vaccine adjuvants.

Dr. Culbertson joined the firm as an associate in 2016.