Tara Norgard is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and strategic advisor who helps companies win high-stakes intellectual property and business disputes. Clients turn to Tara for bet-the-company litigation, complex technology conflicts, and matters requiring both courtroom strength and sound business judgment.
Recognized by Chambers USA as one of Minnesota’s leading IP litigators—where she is described as “a fierce and highly skilled advocate”—Tara focuses on patent, trade secret, trademark, and complex commercial litigation. Her work is defined by precision, credibility, and a relentless focus on the issues that advance her client’s goals. She has secured victories in federal courts, appellate courts, and arbitrations nationwide, and routinely negotiates high-value licenses and resolutions involving sophisticated technologies, including medical devices, financial systems, biofuels, agribusiness, advanced materials, and consumer products.
Tara is also a trusted appointee of the federal court in complex, high-profile matters. She served as general counsel to the receiver in the $190 million Trevor Cook Ponzi scheme—one of the largest frauds in Minnesota history—where she led global asset recovery efforts on behalf of defrauded investors. In the InterMark receivership, she oversaw the return of $26 million to victims worldwide. Her work alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission has earned her national recognition in complex financial and fraud-related matters. She has also been appointed by the Court to serve as a Rule 53 Special Master.
Tara serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Carlson Caspers, one of the nation’s premier intellectual property boutiques. She is also co-founder and co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, where she leads initiatives that strengthen the firm, the profession, and the broader community.
A respected thought leader, Tara is a frequent speaker on intellectual property and issues shaping the future of the legal profession. She is a longstanding leader within the Federal Bar Association, having served as President of its Minnesota Chapter, and as founder and chair of the national organization’s Committee on Advancing the Legal Profession, where she led the development and rollout of a multi-year action plan across more than 100 chapters nationwide.
Tara’s contributions have earned numerous honors, including the Earl W. Kinter Award for Distinguished Service. She is consistently ranked among Minnesota’s top IP attorneys and has twice been named Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer.
Outside the firm, Tara serves on the board of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and supports Friends of FANA Minnesota, a nonprofit connecting Colombian children with adoptive families.
EDUCATION
University of Minnesota Law School
J.D., magna cum laude
Order of the Coif
Articles Editor, Minnesota Law Review
Marquette University
B.A., Political Science, magna cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
BAR ADMISSIONS
Minnesota Supreme Court
Illinois Supreme Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Qualified Neutral on the Minnesota Supreme Court’s Statewide Roster
EVENTS & PUBLICATIONS
| Speaking Engagements, Webinars, and Presentations “Intellectual Property Basics” Minnesota State Bar Association Corporate Counsel Fall Institute, November, 2024 “Becoming a Better Ally for Women in IP” Panelist, Midwest IP Institute 2024 “IP Odyssey: Navigating the Latest Developments in Intellectual Property Law,” Federal Bar Association seminar, CLE accredited, April 24, 2024. “NFTs and Digital Assets, Beyond Bored Apes,” 4th Annual Association of Corporate Counsel, Minnesota Chapter, Oktoberfest CLE, Hot Topics in IP Law, October 2023 (co-presenter) “NFTs Are on Your Doorstep: Are You Ready? IP Considerations, Pitfalls, and Best Practices,” ACC-MN CLE, April 20, 2023 The Intersection of Trade Secrets and Data Privacy in the Digital Age “Trade Secret Secrets for Corporate Counsel,” ACC-MN CLE, April 26, 2022 “Staying in the Game: Women’s Path to Leadership,” FBA Leadership Institute, April 28–30, 2022 “Becoming a Federal Magistrate Judge,” U.S. District Court, December 13, 2021 “Creative Approaches to Litigation: Intellectual Property,” National Association of Federal Equity “Our Founding Sisters,” Federal Bar Association Annual Convention, September 8, 2021 “Celebrating Trailblazing Women Attorneys,” Minnesota State Bar Association, Minnesota “Racism and Social Justice in the Legal Profession,” Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services “Voting Rights of Individuals with Disabilities,” 10th Annual Disability Justice Seminar, “Trade Secrets I CLE,” RadioFree IP®, Carlson Caspers online seminar series, August 13, 2020
“Trade Secrets II CLE,” RadioFree IP®, Carlson Caspers webinar series, July 23, 2020 “The Demand for Diversity in Federal Practice,” Federal Bar Association Annual Convention, September 6, 2019 “Justice for People with Disabilities: Access to the Courts,” Minnesota CLE, August 31, 2015 “An In-House Perspective on IP Best Practices for Due Diligence, Mergers, and Enforcement, Minnesota Intellectual Property Lawyers Association,” May 18, 2015 Articles & Publications “The Intersection of Trade Secrets and Data Privacy in the Digital Age,” The Federal Lawyer, Spring 2023, by Tara C. Norgard and Harpreet S. Mahal “Brandi Burris: In the Service of Community,” by Tara Norgard, Attorney at Law Magazine, May 7, 2021 “Diversity & Inclusion” An Imperative for the FBA,” The Federal Lawyer, January 2020 “Attorney of the Year: Tara C. Norgard,” Minnesota Lawyer, October 2018 “Attorney of the Year: Hispanic Legal Experience Team,” Minnesota Lawyer, October 2016 RECOGNITION
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