Derrick Carman

Legal Director

Derrick Carman

Derrick Carman is the Legal Director at Certum Group, where he focuses on patent underwriting and supports Certum’s IP finance platform, including IP licensing, litigation funding, and acquisitions. A registered patent attorney with over a decade of experience in patent litigation and prosecution, Derrick earned his B.S. in Physics from Denison University and his J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law, where he served as Computer Editor of the Syracuse Law Review.


Before joining Certum, Derrick was a Partner in the IP Litigation group at Robins Kaplan LLP, where he practiced for nearly nine years. He represented plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes patent and trade secret disputes before the U.S. Federal Courts, the International Trade Commission, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. His matters have spanned a broad range of technologies, including software, computer memory systems, LTE/3G, batteries, chemical compositions, genetically modified cell lines, medical devices, mechanical devices, projector systems, and laser technology.


Prior to Robins Kaplan, Derrick was an Associate at Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Denver, where his practice spanned patent preparation, prosecution, and litigation. He began his career at IBM, drafting non-provisional patent applications across software, hardware, and other technical fields for IBM inventors around the world.


Derrick was named a “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers in America and a New York Rising Star by Super Lawyers. He is admitted to the State Bars of New York and Colorado and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


  • Expertise

    Litigation Funding

    Claim Monetization

    Litigation Funding with Insurance

    Secondary Transactions

    Special Situations Financing

    Legal Solutions