Karen Ann Jacobs
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With more than thirty-five years of litigation experience, Karen’s practice focuses primarily on patent infringement litigation before the Delaware District Court.
Karen’s trial experience as an IP litigator includes both lead counsel and co-counsel roles where she has secured favorable outcomes at the district court level, on appeal to the Federal Circuit, and through settlement negotiations.
Karen’s clients cover a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, life sciences, biotechnology, electronics, computer software, telecommunications, and consumer products. Her representative clients include Thermo Fisher, Meta, Instagram, Genentech, Biogen, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Siemens, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, and Sumitomo.
In addition to handling patent disputes, Karen also has experience in a variety of other intellectual property and commercial litigation areas, including copyright, trademark, trade secret, unfair competition, and contract and licensing disputes.
She has been recognized as an intellectual property law leader by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, Delaware Super Lawyers, Managing IP, and others.
Karen has long been an activist in a variety of community activities and is a recipient of the Delaware State Bar Association’s Community Service Award.
In her support of health and wellness initiatives, Karen served for over 20 years as chair of the Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA) Professional Guidance Committee, which offers peer guidance and support to lawyers with practice-related or personal issues, and is a frequent speaker on lawyer wellness in this leadership role. She is also the co-chair of the Delaware Lawyers Assistance Fund and serves on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Regional Advisory Board of the Caron Treatment Center. In June 2023, she received the Alumni/Family Award at Caron’s 21st Annual Philadelphia Community Awards Breakfast.
Karen is also an avid advocate of legal representation for the poor. She served as president of Delaware Volunteer Legal Services and as chair of the Combined Campaign for Justice, which benefits the three legal aid agencies in Delaware that serve low-income populations. She previously served as Legal Community Section Chair of the United Way of Delaware. She also volunteers with Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a mentor at a local Wilmington elementary school and at the Joseph’s Food Pantry at Congregation Beth Emeth, where she also serves on the Executive Committee and Chair of the Endowment fund.
A longtime champion for diversity and a leader in the Delaware Bar, Karen previously served as chair of the DSBA Women and Law Section and is a member of the Multicultural Lawyers and Judges section. In 2009, Karen was the recipient of the organization’s Women’s Leadership Award, presented to a member whose character, strength, personality, achievement and activities in matters affecting women lawyers have served as an inspiration to and a model for women lawyers. In 2024, The Legal Intelligencer Legal Awards named Karen a finalist in the category recognizing the “Best Law Firm Mentors” in the Pennsylvania/Delaware region.
At Morris Nichols, she served on firm’s Executive Committee from 2020 to 2023 and was formerly Practice Group Coordinator of the Intellectual Property Litigation Group.
Experience
Prevailed for UCB following a bench trial in a multi-defendant patent infringement action involving the anti-seizure drug Briviact®. UCB Inc. et al v. Annora Pharma Private Limited et al, D. Del. C.A. No. 20-987-CFC-JLH
Delaware co-counsel to Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. in a Hatch-Waxman patent infringement action concerning a proposed generic version of Xifaxan, directed to preventing reoccurrence of hepatic encephalopathy and irritable bowel syndrome. Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. et al v. Norwich Pharmaceuticals, Inc., D. Del., C.A. No. 20-430-RGA.
Secured a positive result for the defendants in an inventorship and breach of contract action that spanned multiple years. Doda v. Waste Management, D. Del., C.A. No. 17-604-CFC-SRF.
Served as lead counsel to life sciences company Thermo Fisher in multiple patent infringement and corporate actions.
Serves as counsel to branded pharmaceutical companies in multiple ANDA and biosimilar disputes, for clients such as Biogen, Genentech, Amgen, Vanda and Sunovion.
Secured patent infringement victory for Siemens Mobility Inc. along with co-counsel Crowell & Moring following nine-day jury trial. Siemens Mobility Inc. v. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. and Wabtec Railway Electronics Inc., D. Del., C.A. No. 16-00284 (LPS)
Delaware co-counsel to VANDA Pharmaceuticals in various ANDA patent infringement actions concerning the drug FANAPT® for treatment of schizophrenia.
News & Insights
Media Mention, Super Lawyers, 05.22.2025The 11 Morris Nichols attorneys listed in 2025 edition practice in bankruptcy, corporate litigation, corporate counseling, intellectual property litigation, and other categories.
Honors & Recognitions
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, ranked in Delaware for intellectual property, since 2005
IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, ranked in Delaware, since 2014
Managing Intellectual Property, IP Star, 2014-2024; named one of the Top 250 Women in IP, 2014-2021; recipient of the “Outstanding Litigator: Delaware” award at the MIP Americas Awards, 2020
The Best Lawyers in America, listed in Delaware intellectual property and patent litigation, since 2011
Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America, listed for IP litigation, especially patent, since 2024
Delaware Super Lawyers, listed in intellectual property litigation in Delaware, since 2007
Who’s Who Legal: Patents, listed, since 2014
Delaware State Bar Association, recipient of the Community Service Award, 2003; Women’s Leadership Award, 2009
Caron Treatment Center, Philadelphia Region, honored at Caron’s 21st Annual Philadelphia Community Awards Breakfast with Alumni/Family Award, 2023
The Legal Intelligencer, Legal Awards, finalist in the “Best Law Firm Mentors” category, 2024
Professional & Civic
American Bar Association (Intellectual Property Law Section)
American Bar Foundation (Fellow)
American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware (Former Board Member)
American Intellectual Property Law Association
Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Delaware (Mentor)
Caron Treatment Centers, Philadelphia Regional Advisory Board and Parent Group leader
ChIPs - Advancing Women in IP
Congregation Beth Emeth (Executive Committee and Endowment Chair)
Combined Campaign for Justice (Former Chair)
Delaware Lawyers Assistance Fund (Co-Chair)
Delaware State Bar Association (Professional Guidance Committee (Former Co-Chair), Women in Law Section (Chair, 1994-1995; Executive Committee, 2009-2012), Multicultural Lawyers and Judges Section)
Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (Past Board Member and Past President)
Federal Bar Association
Federal Circuit Bar Association
Governor's Task Force on Early Care and Education (2001-2003)
Governor's Panel on Workers Compensation Oversight (Former Appointee)
Litigation Counsel of America (Fellow)
United Way of Delaware (Legal Community Sector, Former Chair)
Education
Harvard Law School, JD, cum laude, 1990
Ames Moot Court Competition, finalist
University of Pennsylvania, BA, summa cum laude, 1987
Admissions
- Delaware, 1990
- US District Court for the District of Delaware, 1991
- US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1991
- US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, 1998
- US Supreme Court, 2000
Chambers USA sources consistently attest: “Karen is a world-class trial lawyer in every possible aspect.” (2024) “She’s tireless, brilliant and sophisticated.” (2024) “Karen has a brilliant legal mind and she is very experienced.” (2022) “She is super prepared and has a deep knowledge of what you need to do to practice in Delaware and how to approach cases.” (2019)