Rob Jacob > Stephenson Harwood > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Stephenson Harwood Offices
1 FINSBURY CIRCUS
LONDON
EC2M 7SH
England
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Rob Jacob
Work Department
Commercial litigation
Position
Rob has a masters degree in Chemistry from Imperial College, London and a post-graduate diploma in IP law and practice. He trained and qualified into the IP team at Clifford Chance before joining Stephenson Harwood in 2009 specialising in all intellectual property matters.
Rob acted on DataCard Corporation v Eagle Technologies Limited ([2011] EWHC 244 (Pat)) where the firm successfully argued for the extension of trade mark law in relation to post-sale confusion. His other more recently reported cases include: Glaxo Wellcome UK Limited v Sandoz Ltd [2017] EWHC 3196 (Ch), Parainen Pearl Shipping Ltd v Kristian Gerhard Skipsrederi AS [2018] EWHC 2628 (Pat), Smart Reamer Drilling Systems v NOV Downhole Eurasia [2018] 1265 (IPEC) and Pathway IP Sarl v easyGroup Ltd [2018] EWHC 3608 (Ch). He has also successfully argued that residual goodwill subsists in the NICHOLSON gin brand (UK Decision: Opp 0520-14) and has successfully convinced OHIM’s Board of Appeal that the shape of GSK’s DISKUS inhaler was distinctive (R2074/2013-2).
On the non-contentious side, Rob’s highlights include working on the public takeover of Biocompatibles plc by BTG plc, the US$3.8 billion sale of Piramal Enterprises’ domestic formulations division to US pharmaceuticals giant Abbott, the acquisition of the worldwide rights to Florbetaben (a pioneering molecular imaging product for the diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s disease) from Bayer Pharma AG and the US$220 million acquisition of EKOS corporation.
Rob is a recommended lawyer in the Legal 500 UK directory for intellectual property and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology with “notable strengths in trade mark work”. Rob has been described as “a very brainy guy who thinks deeply about his cases. He is always stress-testing and playing devil’s advocate to be as well prepared as possible. He is unflappable and his measured manner is very reassuring.” (WTR 1000, 2019) Rob also wrote the intellectual property chapter of the book Offshore Construction Law and Practice published by Informa Law from Routledge.
Lawyer Rankings
London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
(Next Generation Partners)With demonstrable experience in cross-border litigation, Stephenson Harwood possesses a strong presence in the life sciences, retail and offshore sectors, advising on licensing arrangements and a variety of disputes. Practice head Alexandra Pygall oversees a growing life sciences practice, handling both contentious and transactional IP matters. Rob Jacob is vastly experienced in global trade mark litigation, while Naomi Leach assists clients when issues involving licensing and collaboration agreements are at stake. Peter Dalton joined the team in February 2023 from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, bolstering the practice with a focus on technology disputes. Managing associate Joshua Cunnington and associate Laura Elliott are also key contacts in the group.
London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
Counting big pharma and biotech clients in its roster, ‘excellent’ Stephenson Harwood fields a strong practice in the life sciences arena, alongside notable expertise in handling cross-border litigation. Its key areas of work include advising clients on complex licensing arrangements and other transactions, as well as any disputes that arise from these. Practice head Alexandra Pygall is praised by clients for her ability to provide ‘commercial advice’ as well as her ‘great knowledge of the law’. Naomi Leach is well-versed in complex IP licensing and collaboration agreements, and Rob Jacob’s extensive litigation experience is recommended, notably on a global scale and routinely involving cutting-edge issues. Peter Dalton joined the team in February 2023 from Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
Lawyer Rankings
- Next Generation Partners London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious) London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
- Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Private client > Art and cultural property
- Dispute resolution > Commodities disputes
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Private client > Personal tax, trusts and probate
- Transport > Rail
Firm Rankings
- Transport > Aviation
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Dispute resolution > Group litigation: Claimant
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Insurance > Professional negligence
- Transport > Shipping
- Finance > Trade finance
- Finance > Transport finance and leasing
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Employment > Employers
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Dispute resolution > Public international law
- Risk advisory > Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates)
- Employment > Senior executives
- Corporate and commercial > VAT and indirect tax
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Corporate and commercial > Corporate tax
- Risk advisory > Data protection, privacy and cybersecurity
- Employment > Employee share schemes
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals)
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure: Project finance and development
- Insurance > Insurance and reinsurance litigation
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Real estate > Property finance
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Finance > Corporate restructuring & insolvency
- Insurance > Insurance: corporate and regulatory
- Investment fund formation and management > Private funds
- Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Dispute resolution > Tax litigation and investigations
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers