Intellectual property and commercial lawyer Jon has over 20 years’ international experience, many spent in-house with global corporations, providing legal support to senior leaders. Jon has extensive experience in advising businesses on a wide range of IP, commercial and corporate contractual matters, with a keen focus on the energy sector having advised Shell for over a decade as their Senior Legal Counsel.
Jon is an expert on how to protect and commercialise technology and creative ideas, software, data, designs and brands, whilst managing the risks presented by the IP rights of competitors, partners and customers, whether operating alone or in collaborations or ventures with others.
Jon can advise on creating, licensing and assessing the strength of portfolios of trade secrets, patents, copyright, design rights and trade marks, and works with his clients to develop and implement IP reviews and strategies to support this, along with IP governance and compliance programmes.
Jon’s commercial and corporate experience includes confidentiality, supply, procurement and secondment arrangements, and advising on the IP and information sharing aspects of venture capital investments, acquisitions, divestments, projects and joint ventures.
Jon’s performance has been consistently of a very high quality, efficient and with a strong commercial mindset.
Robert Linck, CFO
Shell VenturesDefinitely one of my all-time favourite attorneys to work with.
Gregg Cremer, Commercialization Manager, Computational & Digital Technologies
ShellJon has deep experience in supporting technology development with IP strategies. He has also been of tremendous value to me personally in designing and implementing IP governance change in tandem with wider organizational, cultural and process change to maximise technology development value productivity.
Yuri Sebregts, CTO
ShellJon's governance and compliance recommendations were business-friendly and readily digestible, giving us a clear action plan. His experience means he knows exactly how in-house teams operate; it was an enjoyable process not a chore!
Caroline Coates, VP Legal,
Oxbotica
Expertise
- Licensing and assignments (technology/creative/brand IP)
- Non-disclosure (confidentiality) and information use rights
- University/industry research and development
- Software development & licensing
- Technology collaborations
- Field trial and testing agreements
- Sponsorship agreements
- Technology commercialisation
- Patents
- Trade secrets
- Copyright
- Design rights
- Trade marks
- IP strategy
- IP governance and compliance programmes
- IP audits & due diligence
- Commercial contracts
- Procurement and supply agreements
- IP/information rights & (de-)branding in M&A and venture capital investments
- Technology and data sharing in joint ventures and operating agreements
Experience
Energy
- Project lead for creation and roll-out of Shell group-wide global online IP (brand & technology) compliance training programme.
- Supported Shell Ventures on identifying IP risks and opportunities when setting up multiple large strategic investment funds.
- Coordinated IP due diligence, advice and contract negotiation for numerous Shell Ventures investments in Digital, New Energies and Oil & Gas third party technology companies or spin-outs.
- Assisted Shell future energies series B and C investments in Glasspoint Solar and associated joint development and option agreements.
- Advised on IP/technology sharing, licensing and secondment arrangements for large scale enhanced technical services agreements between Shell and Kuwait Oil Company for three new oil and gas fields.
- Drafted and negotiated large framework exploration/geosciences Shell research collaboration and sponsorship agreements with Oxford and Heriot Watt Universities.
- Advised Shell on a cross-border oil well patent entitlement dispute in Hague first instance court and prolonged appeal settlement negotiations.
- Assisted with the preparation and implementation of IP strategies for the protection and commercialisation of various Shell technologies to support commercial and business objectives.
Technology, Media & Telecoms
- Drafted and negotiated Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders sponsorship agreement for British international motor show.
- Large joint development collaboration between Shell and HP for wireless seismic sensing.
- Helped scope and implement a Shell IP monetisation and commercialisation pilot and subsequent technology licensing programme.
- Negotiated IP provisions of large contracts for British Telecom with telecoms suppliers for next generation fibre optic telecoms network across UK.
- Advised on commercial/IT/telecoms procurement, including services and supply contracts, for a major investment bank.
- Advised AstraZeneca Marketing company on a large software platform development and support agreement.
- Assisted with the first English High Court database rights case between the British Horseracing Board and William Hill.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised by The Legal 500 2023 for Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
Member of the Law Society of England & Wales
Member of the Licensing Executives Society
In 2017 Jon received a Special Recognition Award from Shell’s Chief Technology Officer for his contribution working with senior executives to embed IP awareness and ways of working in a group-wide technology delivery model refresh.
Career
Jon qualified as a solicitor in 2001. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2019, he worked at the following firms:
- Shell International
- Wragge & Co
- British Telecom
- Allen & Overy