Van specializes in the intersection of technology and law and was in 2012 named one of "America's Top 12 Techiest Attorneys" by the ABA Journal. With his software engineering background, Van has particular expertise in the area of Open Source, with extensive work addressing the legal, economic, and social aspects of engaging with Open Source communities. He is the author of “Intellectual Property and Open Source: A Practical Guide to Protecting Code,” published by O’Reilly Media, and helps businesses with everything from Open Source compliance to business strategy. He has been an officer of the Python Software Foundation since 2007, serving as the foundation’s chair from 2012 through 2016. He was also a member of OpenStack Foundation’s board of directors from 2013 through 2017. Prior to joining Dykema, Van was Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Rackspace, a managed cloud-computing company, where he set the strategy and policy around patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, and Open Source matters.