Nate is a zealous advocate who takes pride in identifying winning arguments and clearly articulating them in briefing and oral arguments. He also enjoys managing complex cases with many interrelated factual and legal issues.
Nate is especially adept at handling cases that involve both Federal District Court litigation and post-grant proceedings such as Inter Partes Reviews at the US Patent and Trademark Office. In one example Carlson Caspers represented a small patent owner facing a large publicly owned defendant. The Carlson Caspers team defeated the defendant’s IPR petition, allowing the case to proceed to trial in the district court where Carlson Caspers’ client received a judgment of more than $20 million. . Nate managed that case from beginning to end and played a critical role in trial, examining multiple witnesses including both parties’ damages experts.
In another case, where Carlson Caspers represented the defendant, the Carlson Caspers team used an IPR to invalidate 114 out of 117 asserted patent claims and ultimately recovered more than $1 million in attorneys’ fees for their client.
Minnesota Super Lawyers® has listed Nate as a “Rising Star” every year since 2019, and The Best Lawyers In America® named him as One to Watch® in 2024, 2025 and 2026. In 2023, Nate was invited by the District of Minnesota judges to join a working group related to Reporting on Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Actions.
Nate is a registered patent attorney. He has a degree in Chemistry and spent a year researching battery chemistry for Medtronic, Inc. before he attended law school.
EDUCATION
University of Minnesota Law School, JD, cum laude
Concentration in Intellectual Property and Technology
Kenneth R. & Lillian Smith Scholarship
Dean’s List
St. John’s University, BA
Phi Beta Kappa
Distinction in Chemistry
Dean’s List
BAR ADMISSIONS
Minnesota Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
Co-chair of the Intellectual Property Committee for the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
EVENTS & PUBLICATIONS
Speaking Engagements, Webinars, and Presentations
Federal Bar Association Minnesota Chapter IP Committee, “Recent Developments in IP Law,” April 16, 2025
Association of Corporate Counsel webinar, “Recent Patent Law Updates that Business Lawyers Need to Know,” April 9, 2024.
“Treasure in the Attic: Legal strategies for identifying promising patents and monetizing your IP portfolio,” 4th Annual Association of Corporate Counsel, Minnesota Chapter, Oktoberfest CLE, Hot Topics in IP Law, October 2023 (co-presenter).
“Intellectual Property Portfolio: Strategic Management Tips,” The Knowledge Group, July 28, 2022. For a Vimeo recording, click here.
“Inter Partes Reviews & Post Grant Proceedings: Winning Strategies the 2020 Battlefield,” June 25, 2020. For a Vimeo recording, click here.
“Helsinn v. Teva: On-Sale Bar Under America Invents Act Clarified,” December 20, 2017. For a Vimeo recording, click here.
Articles & Publications
“Patent Law Updates for Business Lawyers: 2023-2024,” Hennepin Lawyer, April, 2024.
Nate was featured in the article, “Carlson Caspers Associates: Deliver Ingenuity to IP Clients,” Attorney at Law Magazine, May 7, 2021.
RECOGNITION
Nate was named a “Rising Star” in Minnesota Super Lawyers for 2019-2022.
Nate was listed in Patexia’s ANDA Litigation Intelligence Report, 2022 Edition, recognizing Carlson Caspers as among the Top 10 ANDA Best Performing Firms and the Top 25 Most Active Firms for Hatch-Waxman Litigation.