Robert B. Kornweiss is a counsel in Crowell & Moring's New York office. Rob litigates and resolves patent, trade secret, breach of contract, corporate governance, and other complex commercial cases in state and federal courts, arbitration, and before the PTAB and the ITC.
Rob's recent pro bono experience includes counseling and drafting contracts for nonprofits regarding copyright, trademark, and IP licensing, as well as representing an individual in an immigration case.
As an active member of the American Bar Association’s Trade Secret and Interference with Contracts Committee, Rob collaborates with other attorneys to advance trade secret policy. He is also an active member of the committee revising the civil jury instructions for D.C. Superior Court. Through his work on this committee, Rob focuses on principles for the clear communication of legal concepts to jurors.
During law school, Rob was a merit scholar, an executive editor of Law & Contemporary Problems, and a member of the Mock Trial Board and the Wrongful Convictions Clinic. During his university studies, Rob was a member of the student attorney general’s staff and the Carolina Mock Trial team. He also served as a volunteer tutor, orphanage staff member, and translator in Spanish-speaking communities in North Carolina and Argentina.
Recognition
- Named "one to watch" by The Best Lawyers.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: District of Columbia; New York; U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York
Memberships
- American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section
- Trade Secrets and Interference with Contracts Committee
Representative Matters
Rob’s current matters include:
- Representing Lonza Walkersville and other pharmaceutical companies in patent infringement and trade secret cases.
- Representing Graco Children’s Products and Wonderland Nurserygoods in a patent infringement investigation before the ITC.
- Representing ScentAir in a patent infringement dispute in federal court and before the PTAB.
- Representing a health insurer in breach of contract and indemnification disputes.
- Representing an individual investor in a breach of contract and fraud case.
- Representing an individual business owner, officer, and director in a corporate governance dispute.
Rob’s results include:
- Securing a preliminary injunction through trial on behalf of Lonza Walkersville in a patent infringement case involving point-of-care cell-therapy technology.
- Resolving patent licensing, trade secret, trademark, and breach of contract cases for an antimicrobial solutions company.
- Resolving a patent infringement case for Rekor Systems regarding automatic license plate recognition technology.
- Resolving a patent infringement case for Agilent Technologies regarding an N-glycan labeling reagent.
- Prevailing on summary judgement in a trade secret and breach of contract case for a defense contractor.
- Resolving a trade secret, copyright, and breach of contract case for an automotive technology company.
- Obtaining a preliminary injunction for an individual business owner, officer, and director in a corporate governance dispute.
Speeches & Presentations
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"Trade Secret Protection During COVID-19 and Remote Working Environment: Identifying and Mitigating Risks, Limiting and Monitoring Third-Party Disclosures," Strafford Webinar
(May 12, 2020).
Presenters: Anne Elise Herold Li, James K. Stronski, and Robert B. Kornweiss.
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"Trade Secret Protection During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(May 6, 2020).
Presenters: James K. Stronski, Anne Elise Herold Li, and Robert B. Kornweiss.
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"Top 10 Tips for Safeguarding Trade Secrets," Crowell & Moring Webinar
(March 10, 2020).
Presenters: Anne Elise Herold Li, James K. Stronski, and Robert B. Kornweiss.
Publications
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"Trade Secret Litigation Is Different: Should Patent Law Concepts Be Imported?" Landslide
(July 7, 2022).
Authors: Mark A. Klapow, and Robert B. Kornweiss.
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"Trade Secret Litigation is Different: Should Patent Law Concepts be Imported?" Landslide® Magazine
(June 1, 2022).
Authors: Mark A. Klapow, Robert B. Kornweiss.
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"Multi-Front Trade Secret Protection: Moving for Injunction in U.S. Court Does Not Stop Plaintiff from Arbitrating in Switzerland," Crowell & Moring’s Trade Secrets Trends
(October 7, 2021).
Authors: Emily Kappers, Robert B. Kornweiss, Anne Elise Herold Li and Joshua M. Rychlinksi.
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"Early Focus On Damages Can Streamline Patent Litigation," Law360
(May 17, 2021).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss, Anne Elise Herold Li, and James K. Stronski.
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"How 5-Year-Old Defend Trade Secrets Act Has Met Its Goals," Law360
(May 11, 2021).
Authors: Mark A. Klapow, Robert B. Kornweiss, and Ian Logan.
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"Annual Trade Secret Law Report," ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee
(May 5, 2021).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss et al.
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"ITC Finds Trade Secret Misappropriation and Bars Electric Vehicle Batteries from SK Innovation—With Exceptions," Crowell & Moring’s Trade Secrets Trends
(February 11, 2021).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss, Molly A. Jones and Joshua Pond.
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"Trade Secret Strategies: Using Standstill Agreements to Resolve Disputes Out of Court," Crowell & Moring’s Trade Secrets Trends
(November 5, 2020).
Authors: James K. Stronski, Anne Elise Herold Li and Robert B. Kornweiss.
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"GEICO Earns Victory at Intersection Between Copyright and Trade Secret Law Covering Source Code," Crowell & Moring’s Trade Secrets Trends
(March 27, 2020).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss, Raija Horstman and Mark A. Klapow.
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"Annual Trade Secret Law Report," ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secrets and Interferences with Contracts Committee
(July 17, 2019).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss et al.
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"Protecting Regulatory Expertise as a Trade Secret?" Crowell & Moring's Trade Secrets Trends
(October 29, 2018).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss and Julia Milewski.
Client Alerts & Newsletters
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"Federal Circuit Says Licensee Can’t Sue on its Own: USFRF v. FujiFilm Medical,"
Intellectual Property Bullet Analyses
(December 1, 2021).
Contacts: Anne Elise Herold Li, Robert B. Kornweiss
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"Court Rejects Landlords’ Constitutional Challenges to New York Executive Order Suspending Evictions,"
Litigation Alert
(July 1, 2020).
Contacts: Gregory D. Call, Allyson McKinstry, Robert B. Kornweiss
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"Trade Secret Protection During the COVID-19 Pandemic,"
Trade Secrets Alert
(April 3, 2020).
Contacts: James K. Stronski, Anne Elise Herold Li, Robert B. Kornweiss
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"Business Disruption and Commercial Contracts (Part 4): How To Assert Force Majeure,"
Litigation Alert
(April 1, 2020).
Contacts: Bryan Brewer, Mark A. Klapow, Luke van Houwelingen, Robert B. Kornweiss
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"Two Men Indicted for Alleged Theft of GE Trade Secrets for Turbine Technology,"
Trade Secrets Alert
(April 30, 2019).
Contacts: Astor Heaven, Robert B. Kornweiss
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"U.S. Charges Chinese and Taiwanese Companies with Trade Secret Theft, Continues Vigilant Prosecution of Chinese Economic Espionage,"
Trade Secrets Alert
(November 6, 2018).
Contacts: Astor Heaven, Robert B. Kornweiss
Press Coverage
Firm News & Announcements
| August 18, 2022 |
The Best Lawyers in America 2023 Recognizes 54 Crowell & Moring Attorneys, Three Selected as Lawyer of the Year |
| May 11, 2022 |
LITIGATION NOTE: ScentAir Prevails Again in Pair of Patent Rulings, Leaving Prolitec Only Narrow Claims |
| January 27, 2022 |
LITIGATION NOTE: Crowell & Moring Secures Preliminary Injunction for Lonza in Ground-Breaking Cell Therapy Patent Infringement Case |
| January 3, 2022 |
Crowell & Moring Elects 13 New Partners, Promotes Seven to Senior Counsel, and 19 to Counsel |
| August 19, 2021 |
The Best Lawyers in America 2022 Recognizes 53 Crowell & Moring Attorneys, One Selected as Lawyer of the Year |
| February 10, 2021 |
LITIGATION NOTE: Crowell & Moring Prevails for ScentAir in Long-Running Patent Infringement Case |
| August 20, 2020 |
The Best Lawyers in America 2021 Recognizes 46 Crowell & Moring Attorneys, Two Selected as Lawyer of the Year |
| October 4, 2019 |
LITIGATION NOTE: Crowell & Moring Client Agilent Successfully Rebuts Preliminary Injunction Because Patent Likely Invalid |