Bowman and Brooke Logo
Theodore Dorenkamp III

Theodore Dorenkamp III

Partner
Phone:310.525.6633
Fax:310.719.1019

Ted Dorenkamp is a litigator and trial attorney who defends manufacturers, their products and their people in complex product liability and personal injury matters. He defends some of the most well-known manufacturers against claims including product defect, negligence, breach of warranty and commercial practices, having successfully defended them in several cases to jury verdict. Ted has represented manufacturers and distributors of automobiles, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, construction and industrial equipment, consumer products and other regulated and non-regulated products, including multidistrict litigation, class actions and mass tort actions.

Ted also advises manufacturers, product sellers, and the insurance industry on ways to identify, evaluate, minimize and avoid risk. He draws on the extensive insights he’s gained in the courtroom defending product liability, personal injury and warranty claims nationally into identifying where legal vulnerabilities exist, how to make products more defensible, and ultimately how to minimize the possibility of claims. Ted works with companies to conduct product liability assessments and organizational analyses to help determine the nature and likelihood of claims, the potential consequences, the strategies to manage and minimize product liability and regulatory risk.

Ted also has a burgeoning aviation practice, specifically with emerging litigation surrounding unmanned aircraft systems. He helps protect and defend intellectual property, including patents, copyrights and trademarks, employment matters and commercial interests. He has created and negotiated commercial contracts and licensing agreements, and helped prevent ligation through product labeling and compliance with federal regulations. Ted focuses on the areas of product safety, product liability prevention, and corporate and regulatory compliance.

Outside of the office Ted can be found taking in Japanese culture, where he lived for several years. He is a licensed private pilot, motorcyclist and competes in triathlons and marathons.

Bar Admissions

  • Minnesota, 2000
  • Wisconsin, 2010
  • California, 2011

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin

Education

  • University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., 2000

    cum laude

    Intellectual Property Law Review, 1999 – 2000

  • University of Minnesota, B.A., 1993
    Majors: Japanese, International Relations

Professional Associations

    • Defense Research Institute
    • Japanese American Bar Association
    • Japan America Society of Minnesota
    • Minnesota State Bar Association

Distinctions

    • Super Lawyers Magazine
      —Minnesota Rising Stars, 2002, 2004, 2008 – 2009

Languages

  • Japanese

Recent Verdicts & Case Studies


CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE.

Recent News, Events and Blogs


Speaking Engagements

  • "The Use of Experts in Litigation," Co-Presenter, 2017 IEEE Symposium on Product Compliance Engineering, May 2017
  • "No Good Recall Goes Unpunished: Dealing with the Press, Litigation, and Investigations in the Aftermath of a Recall Announcement," Co-Presenter, DRI Product Liability Conference, February 2017
  • "Commercial Drones Take Flight: Preparing and Defending Against Future Litigation," Co-Presenter, Client Webinar, October 2016
  • "Drone Law: Imperative Legal Concerns," National Business Institute, June 2016
  • "Drone Law from A to Z," National Business Institute, November 2015
  • "Top 10 Evidence Mistakes to Avoid," National Business Institute, June 2015
  • "International E-Discovery and Litigation – More Acquisition, Less Discovery," The 38th Annual Business Law Institute, Minnesota State Bar Association CLE, April 2014
  • "Product Liability for Foreign Manufacturers," International Business Law Institute, Minnesota State Bar Association CLE, May 2013
  • "How Can Truck Equipment Manufacturers and Distributors Minimize Their Litigation Risk?" NTEA Convention, March 2012
  • "Advanced Product Liability: Emerging Trends and Developments in Product Liability and Expert Witnesses," National Business Institute, November 2011
  • "Key Evidence Tactics in Civil Litigation," National Business Institute, May 2011

Publications

  • "Product Liability and Safety in the United States: Overview, Co-Author, Thomson Reuters Practical Law, January 2018

  • "Emerging sUAS Manufacturer Concerns," For the Defense, December 2016

  • "FAA Publishes New "Part 107" Regulating Commercial Unmanned Aircraft," Client Alert, June 2016
  • "For Defendants: Developing the Sophisticated User/Intermediary Defense," LJN, Silica Legal News Report, Vol. 1, No. 2, September, 2005
  • "Copyright Misuse or a Right to Compete? A Critique of Alcatel USA v. DGI Technologies," 9 Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal 269, 2001

Classes and Seminars Taught