Contact Info:
591 Mantua Boulevard, Suite 200
Sewell, NJ 08080
Direct: 856.669.2573
Mobile: 609.408.4547
Fax: 856.232.1601
Philadelphia
1515 Market Street, Suite 1200
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Direct: 856.669.2573
Mobile: 609.408.4547
Fax: 856.232.1601
Specializing in:
As a seasoned intellectual property lawyer, registered U.S. Patent Attorney, and litigator, Rob McKinley’s practice spans the full gamut of intellectual property law, including corporate branding, trademarks, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition law. He has a reputation for providing prompt, creative and practical business solutions to a broad range of clients, from start-ups and universities to international companies. Rob has served clients in a wide variety of industries, including:
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With his unique blend of transactional and litigation experience, Rob is well-positioned to help companies identify the practical boundaries of intellectual property rights, the protection that may be available for those rights, and any potential road blocks to avoid along the way.
Rob accomplishes this by working closely with his clients, first to assess what protection may be available to cover the client’s brands, inventions, designs, ideas, business methods, and original works, then to develop patent, trademark and copyright filing strategies to protect those assets in view of the client’s business goals and objectives. Once protection is achieved, Rob works with his clients to maximize the value of their intellectual property assets through cooperative business agreements or, if necessary, litigation.
When a conflict arises, Rob’s 20 years of patent and trademark litigation experience against companies such as Motorola, Lockheed Martin, American Airlines, Planet Hollywood, Berkshire Hathaway, Master Wok, The Steak Umm Company, and Victoria’s Secret, provides him with the tools to aggressively pursue claims on behalf of his clients and, where appropriate, to find practical and efficient business solutions to resolve intellectual property disputes. Click here for more on our Intellectual Property Litigation practice.
Rob’s litigation representations expand beyond intellectual property, representing clients on both sides of breach of employment agreement cases, as well as breach of contract cases. For example, Rob recently secured a $600,000 Final Binding Arbitration Award for his client against Bulova Technologies in an AAA Arbitration proceeding in Philadelphia arising out of a breach of an exclusive distributorship agreement.
On the technical side, Rob is a degreed Electrical Engineer and has expertise in the mechanical, electrical and computer arts, which includes mechanical devices and systems, telecommunications, computer hardware and software, wireless devices and systems, business methods, analog and digital circuits, power and lighting systems, and medical devices, among other things.
Prior Experience
Prior to joining the firm, Rob held Partner and leadership roles at several prestigious Philadelphia area law firms. He was elected partner as a 6th year lawyer at Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis in 2004, and later served as the Chairman of the Intellectual Property Department of a large regional firm, where he specialized in intellectual property and litigation. Rob started his law career in 1994, first as a law clerk and then as an Associate at Seidel, Gonda, Lavorgna & Monaco (which has since merged into DrinkerBiddle).
Robert’s technical experience in engineering and design includes positions at Vitro Corporation, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and UNISYS Corporation.
Education
J.D., Widener University School of Law, with honors in appellate and trial advocacy (1998)
B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Drexel University (1992)
Bar Admissions
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Admissions
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. District Court, E.D. Pa
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Business & Community Developments
In the area of intellectual property, Robert has made several presentations sponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Institute, and the Joint Patent Practice Seminar of the Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia Intellectual Property Law Associations, and has contributed to the book, Inside the Minds: Intellectual Property Licensing Strategies 2012 ed.
Honors, Awards, Recognition
Lauletta Birnbaum Named Best IP Law Firm by South Jersey Biz (2020).
Named one of America’s “Top 100 High Stake Litigators” (2018).
Selected as a “Best Attorney in Business” by South Jersey Biz magazine (2014).
Received “Leaders in Law” Award, Philadelphia Business Journal (2008).
Recognized as one of “Pennsylvania Rising Stars” for intellectual property litigation, Law & Politics and Super Lawyers (2006).
Articles/Publications
SNJ Business People Magazine: Federal Trademark Registration? Why Bother?
SNJ Business People Magazine: Image and reputation is everything in business. Are you protected?
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Cohen Elected to NAWBO Advisory Board
Lauletta Birnbaum, LLC member Sarah Cohen has been elected to the board of NAWBO South Jersey, where she will serve as Co-Director of Advocacy. The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO National) propels women entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. NAWBO-SJ provides support, education, me...
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