Robert B. Kornweiss is an associate in Crowell & Moring's New York office and is a member of the firm's Intellectual Property and Litigation groups. Rob litigates and resolves patent, trade secret, and other complex commercial cases. He focuses on collaborating and clearly communicating with clients to efficiently execute strategies tailored to each individual case. His recent experience includes:
- Resolving (during discovery) a patent infringement case for Rekor Systems regarding automatic license plate recognition technology.
- Resolving (during discovery) a patent infringement case for Agilent Technologies regarding N-glycan labeling reagent.
- Prevailing on summary judgement (prior to substantive discovery) in a trade secret dispute for a defense contractor.
- Litigating a software ownership dispute through a final arbitration hearing.
Rob's recent pro bono experience includes assisting nonprofits with IP licensing and trademark prosecution, as well as representing individuals in immigration and adoption cases.
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.
Rob received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where he was a merit scholar, an executive editor of Law & Contemporary Problems, and a member of the Mock Trial Board and the Wrongful Convictions Clinic. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he also studied Spanish and business administration. 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.
Affiliations
Admitted to practice: District of Columbia, New York, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Memberships
- American Bar Association, Intellectual Property Law Section
- Trade Secrets and Interference with Contracts Committee
- Trade Secrets Corporate Compliance and Best Practices Sub-Committee
- American Intellectual Property Law Association
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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"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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"First Circuit Reversal Highlights Importance of Satisfying Trade Secret Definition," Crowell & Moring’s Trade Secrets Trends
(December 7, 2020).
Authors: Robert B. Kornweiss and Julia Milewski.
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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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"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
Firm News & Announcements