Education
Law School: Harvard Law School, cum laude
College: University of Louisville, summa cum laude
Major Cases
Professor Vandevelde was part of a team representing the United States before the International Court of Justice in a case brought by Nicaragua. He wrote the argument on the Vandenberg Amendment, on which the United States prevailed. He also represented 4,000 claimants before the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague in claims arising out of the Islamic Revolution. In private practice, his biggest case was a $30 million claim (which seemed like a lot more money in the 1980s than it does now) against a defendant represented by David Boies. Vandevelde also has served as an expert witness in several international arbitrations.
Professional Background
Vandevelde spent four years in private practice, three at a large Washington, D.C., law firm and one at a San Diego firm. His practice focused on the representation of Native American tribes and general litigation. He spent six years practicing international law at the State Department, including international litigation, international arbitration and treaty negotiations. He has written three books on international investment law and arbitration: “Bilateral Investment Treaties: History, Policy and Interpretation”; “U.S. International Investment Agreements”; and United States Investment Treaties: Policy and Practice.” He has written two other books: “Thinking Like a Lawyer: An Introduction to Legal Reasoning” and “A History of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law.” During 2014, while on leave from the law school, he worked in Washington, D.C., at the White House as a policy analyst.
Professional Affiliations
He is a law professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he served as dean from 1994 to 2005, during which time the law school separated from Western State University, obtained ABA accreditation and converted to a nonprofit educational institution. Currently he teaches constitutional law, American legal history and international investment law and arbitration. He also serves as a pro bono consultant on international law to the United Nations and various other international organizations and foreign governments.
Personal Affiliations
In recent years, Vandevelde has been active as a volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He and his daughter, Jenny, have participated in three bike rides through Death Valley in which they raised a combined total of more than $30,000 for the foundation.
Personal Background
Vandevelde is a native of Kentucky, where he lived until the age of 22. He moved to Massachusetts to attend law school and then to Washington, D.C., where he met his wife, Lidia. When they were ready to start a family, they moved to San Diego. Their older daughter, Jenny, recently graduated from San Diego State and is a technical support specialist at Tandem Diabetes Care, which manufactures insulin pumps. Their younger daughter, Shelly, is a senior at Cal State San Marcos. They have two border collies, Striker and Sprite.
View our Top Attorneys Emeritus, attorneys who have been named finalists four years or more from 2009 through 2013.
Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to recognize your peers or congratulate attorneys from your firm. Highlight your firm's expertise by advertising or sponsoring Top Attorneys 2014. Call 619-232-4381, email contact@sddt.com, or see our flyer for more information today!
| Nominations Open | February 10 |
| Nominations Close | April 11 |
| Sponsorship/Advertising Close | July 19 |
| Publication Date | July 30 |
| Reception | August 13 |
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The first patent application or applications filed by a company can be the only opportunity to claim the most broad embodiments of a platform technology. To define the scope of what is invented, functional language often is employed in the claims, particularly where the invention is of pioneering nature, such that there is no prior art barring patentability. Such claiming strategy had been successfully employed for many years, but functional language no longer is accepted by patent offices in many jurisdictions. In the United States, such claims recently have been rejected or invalidated as not adequately described and/or not enabled. In other jurisdictions, claims are rejected as claiming by a result to be achieved.
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Before taking on the ocean or opposing counsel, Thomas Frost arrives prepared.
Aug. 13, 2014 -- Reporter Doug Sherwin speaks with attorney Randy Kay, partner with Jones Day and a 2014 Top Attorney, about why there's a surge in trade secrets litigation.
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