Attorney at Law Magazine profiled Ralph Dengler for its Veterans in Law special issue for 2024, as a part of the “Then & Now” series. Dengler served in the U.S. and overseas, earning the rank of colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps.
When asked about how military service impacted his legal career, Dengler shared that “the military is a meritocracy where everyone contributes to mission accomplishment.”
“On my patent litigation teams, we recognize this ethos, and involve all team members, regardless of their year or task, as they are vital contributors to Venable providing our clients with the most ethical and zealous advocacy we can,” he added.
He also highlighted lessons learned in his time in the service that he applies to his practice today. “Certainly, time management and multitasking are key during the dynamic and often unpredictable course of complex patent litigation,” Dengler said. “Also, and related to the above, the importance of team building and member involvement cannot be overemphasized in practice: team members need to own their responsibilities and be held accountable to the team for them.”
Dengler also described what inspired his military and legal careers. “Really simple: I felt obligated to serve my country, and I knew that in doing so, I would be challenged physically, mentally and morally as never before; I knew I needed to step up to this vocation,” he explained. “After serving with the Marines in the Gulf War in 1991 and then as an instructor of new Marine officers, I felt another calling to practice law, and embarked on that new chapter, whose book is still a work in progress.”
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