












"8 New Square is undoubtedly one of the leading sets for trade mark and copyright cases within the media and entertainment sphere, so much so that stablemates here frequently find themselves pitted against each other in major cases."
Chambers & Partners (Media & Entertainment) 2014
"an impressive set with quality from the top
silk down to the most junior barristers."
Chambers & Partners (Information Technology) 2013
'A number of great IT and telecoms barristers.'
Legal 500 2010
"8 New Square brims with barristers experienced in fighting fiendishly complex, high-value IT and telecoms disputes."
Chambers & Partners 2014
'Practical and helpful clerks" provide a "smooth and personable service.'
Chambers and Partners 2011
'excellence on IT matters'
Legal 500 (Information Technology) 2010
"8 New Square brims with barristers experienced in fighting fiendishly complex, high-value IT and telecoms disputes."
Chambers & Partners (Information Technology) 2014
'A veritable powerhouse of IP expertise'
Chambers and Partners 2011
"There are great people there at all levels and the clerks are very accommodating."
Chambers & Partners (Intellectual property) 2014
'Top drawer IP set.'
Legal 500 2010
"Fantastic roster of talent" and recommended for being "very modern, forward-thinking and providing sound commercial advice" as well as offering instructing solicitors "a very broad skill set in the soft IP space."
Chambers & Partners 2017
'An incredibly good set for IP matters'.
Legal 500 2010
The clerks are described as "helpful," "generous" and "very good at knowing what you want."
Chambers & Partners (Intellectual Property) 2013
The Rt.Hon. Professor Sir Robin Jacob
Hugh Laddie Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Director of the Institute of Brand and Innovation Law, University College London
Arbitrator, mediator, expert witness and advisor.
Having read Natural Sciences at Trinity College Cambridge, Sir Robin then simultaneously read for the Bar and took an LLB from the LSE. He was called to the Bar by Grays Inn in 1965.
He practiced at the Intellectual Property Bar from 1967. From 1976 to 1981 he was the Junior Counsel for the Comptroller of Patents and for Government departments in intellectual property. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1981. His practice took him abroad often (Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe, USA, Australia). He was appointed to the Bench in 1993. From 1997 to 2001 he was Supervising Chancery Judge for Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff. He was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal in October 2003. In the Court of Appeal he regularly sat on both IP and commercial cases. He formally retired from the Court of Appeal in May 2011 to take up his current appointment. He continued to sit from time to time in Court of Appeal until April 2016. He acts as an arbitrator, mediator and expert witness both in IP and commercial cases. He is a member of the following arbitral bodies LCIA, the ICC, SIAC, KLRC and HKIAC.
He is Hon. Fellow of the LSE, an Hon. Fellow of St Peter’s College, Oxford, an Hon. LlD of the University of Wolverhampton, Governor of the LSE, Hon. President of the UK branch of the Licensing Executive Society, Hon. President of the Association of Law Teachers, a member of the Advisory Board of the European Law Centre of King’s College London and Chairman of the Advisory Panel on the appointment and training of judges of the Unified Patent Court. He was a Governor of the Expert Witness Institute from its foundation until 2004 and is now a Governor again. He was Treasurer of Grays Inn in 2007. He was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in IP award by MIP in 2012. He was a member of the Scientific and Advisory Board of the European Patent Office during its existence. He has written extensively on all forms of intellectual property. He often lectures, mainly on IP topics, both in the UK and abroad and is regularly consulted on IP matters by the European Commission and the UK government. He is President of the Intellectual Property Judges’ Association (the association of European IP, particularly patent, judges). He is Chairman of the Advisory Panel on the Selection and Training of Judges for the forthcoming Unitary Patent Court.
Academic Career
Sir Robin retired from the Court of Appeal to take up the Sir Hugh Laddie Chair of Intellectual Property Law at University College London.
Sir Robin currently holds the following academic and professional positions:
- Sir Hugh Laddie Chair of Intellectual Property Law at University College London;
- Director of the Institute of Brand and Innovation law (IBIL) at University College London;
- Member of the Scientific and Advisory Board of the European Patent Office.
- Hon. Fellow of the London School of Economics;
- Governor of the London School of Economics;
- Hon. Fellow of St Peter’s College, Oxford University;
- Hon. LLD of the University of Wolverhampton;
- President of the Intellectual Property Institute;
- Hon. President of the UK branch of the Licensing Executive Society;
- Hon. President of the Association of Law Teachers;
- Member of the Advisory Board of the European Law Centre of King’s College London;
- Governor of the Expert Witness Institute from its foundation until 2004 and is again Governor.
Sir Robin was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in IP award by Managing Intellectual Property magazine in 2012.