Karen Ann Jacobs
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With more than thirty years of litigation experience, Karen’s practice focuses primarily on patent infringement litigation before the Delaware District Court. She serves on Morris Nichols’ Executive Committee and was formerly Practice Group Coordinator of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group.
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, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon.com, Genentech, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Motorola Mobility, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, ON Semiconductor, and PCM.
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 serves 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 also serves on the Board of Directors of the Delaware Lawyers Assistance Fund and the Philadelphia Regional Advisory Board of the Caron Treatment Center.
Karen is also an avid advocate of legal representation for the poor. She is a board member and past president of Delaware Volunteer Legal Services. She also served as chair of the Combined Campaign for Justice, which benefits the three legal aid agencies in Delaware that serve low-income populations. She currently serves 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.
A longtime champion for diversity and a leader in the Delaware Bar, Karen previously served as chair of the DSBA Women and Law 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.
Experience
Served as lead counsel to life sciences company Thermo Fisher in multiple patent infringement and corporate actions.
Lead counsel to Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in actions involving Aptiom®.
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.
Delaware co-counsel to Genentech in various ANDA patent infringement actions involving the drugs Esbriet and Alcensa.
Co-counsel to Waste Management in inventorship dispute.
News & Insights
Client Alert, 02.14.2023A look back at patent filings, trials, decisions on key issues, and notable developments in the US District Court for the District of Delaware in 2022.
Honors & Recognitions
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, ranked in Delaware for intellectual property, 2005-2022
IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, ranked in Delaware, 2014-2022
Managing Intellectual Property, IP Star, 2014-2022; 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, 2011-2023
Best Lawyers Business Edition: Women in the Law, 2018-2019
Delaware Super Lawyers, listed in intellectual property litigation in Delaware, 2007-2022
Who’s Who Legal: Patents, listed, 2014-2019
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
ChIPs - Advancing Women in IP
Congregation Beth Emeth (Board Member)
Combined Campaign for Justice (Former Chair)
Delaware Lawyers Assistance Fund (Board of Directors)
Delaware State Bar Association (Professional Guidance Committee (Co-Chair), Women in Law Section (Chair, 1994-1995; Executive Committee, 2009-2012))
Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (Past Board Member and Past President)
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, 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
“Karen has a brilliant legal mind and she is very experienced.” “An impressed source says: ‘She is super prepared and has a deep knowledge of what you need to do to practice in Delaware and how to approach cases.’” - Chambers USA 2022 and 2019