John Runeckles is Of Counsel in the firm’s London office and a member of the firm’s Government Contractor Litigation and Compliance and Patent Litigation and Counseling practices. He is an intellectual property specialist who is also a leading authority on the defence industry and government contracts.
Before joining Jenner & Block in 2015, John worked for 16 years at a large London law firm, where he was responsible for the whole range of non-contentious and contentious IP work, including patent litigation, and for a range of both advisory and contentious work in relation to defence contracts. He spent his early career at the UK Ministry of Defence as an IP specialist and senior contracts officer and joined private practice in 1997 from BAE Systems where he headed up the IP and corporate commercial functions of Royal Ordnance PLC. John is a former chairman of the Economic and Legal Committee of the European Defence Industry Group (now called the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe), and of the Defence Issues Working Group, a UK defence trade association committee responsible for negotiating revisions to UK MOD’s standard contract conditions (DEFCONs). He is recognized as leader on contracting with the Ministry of Defence and has lectured widely on defence contracts in the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and the United States.
Representative Matters
Defence-Related Engagements Include:
- Representing a Swedish defence company in a contractual dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence.
- Representing a US manufacturer of military aircrew training centrifuges and avionics maintenance trainers in an arbitration with the UK Ministry of Defence.
- Representing a major US defence contractor in a dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence relating to wrongful termination of contract.
- Representing a UK communications and electronic systems company in a dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence relating to wrongful termination of contract.
- Representing a US defence company in a software dispute with a European software developer.
- Representing a UK defence company in a sub-contract dispute with a military vehicle manufacturer.
- Advising an aero-engine manufacturer in a potential dispute with its subcontractor in relation to subsystems of engines supplied to a civil aircraft manufacturer.
- Advising a European defence contractor on its bid/proposal documentation in respect of the UK Ministry of Defence procurement of a next-generation weapon system and subsequently a potential dispute under the contract.
- Representing Norwegian, Swedish, German, US, and UK companies in defence-related transactions and disputes.
- Advising a UK defence contractor on bid protest issues arising under the UK Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.
IP-Related Matters Include:
- Patent infringement litigation for a Taiwanese electronics company.
- Defending an Irish polyurethane foam manufacturer in infringement proceedings in the English and Northern Irish High Courts.
- Patent and design right infringement litigation for a UK pump manufacturer.
- Copyright and database right litigation for a UK specialist newspaper.
- Trademark litigation for a hedge fund.
- Defending a UK electronic monitoring company in patent infringement proceedings.
Significant IP Advisory and Transactional Matters Have Included:
- Advising Indian television company on the IP aspects of a JV deal with a US TV and media company.
- Advising Saudi Aramco in relation to numerous chemical plant technology transfer agreements (TTAs) associated with the Rabigh project.
- Advising Tobolsk Polymer in relation to TTAs with Ineos and UOP relating to polymer plants being built in Russia.
- Advising Sohar Aluminum in relation to a TTA with Aluminum Pechiney relating to an aluminium plant being built in Oman.
- Advising Mozal on an aluminum plant being built in Mozambique.
- Advising Mubadala on an aluminum plant being built in Australasia.
- Advising Celanese Corporation in relation to a TTA relating to the construction of a polymer plant in Saudi Arabia.
- Advising Rusnano in relation to technology transfer and other issues.
- Advising SAES in relation to a technology transfer agreement relating to chemical vapour deposition.
- Advising Swedish Biofuels in relation to a project relating to the construction of a biofuel plant in Sweden.
- Advising a UK pharmaceutical company on licensing of intellectual property from a Chinese research institute; and Freedom to Operate opinions for medical devices manufacturer and electronic tagging devices manufacturer.
Credentials
Overview
John Runeckles is Of Counsel in the firm’s London office and a member of the firm’s Government Contractor Litigation and Compliance and Patent Litigation and Counseling practices. He is an intellectual property specialist who is also a leading authority on the defence industry and government contracts.
Before joining Jenner & Block in 2015, John worked for 16 years at a large London law firm, where he was responsible for the whole range of non-contentious and contentious IP work, including patent litigation, and for a range of both advisory and contentious work in relation to defence contracts. He spent his early career at the UK Ministry of Defence as an IP specialist and senior contracts officer and joined private practice in 1997 from BAE Systems where he headed up the IP and corporate commercial functions of Royal Ordnance PLC. John is a former chairman of the Economic and Legal Committee of the European Defence Industry Group (now called the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe), and of the Defence Issues Working Group, a UK defence trade association committee responsible for negotiating revisions to UK MOD’s standard contract conditions (DEFCONs). He is recognized as leader on contracting with the Ministry of Defence and has lectured widely on defence contracts in the United Kingdom, mainland Europe, and the United States.
Areas of Focus
Representative Matters
Defence-Related Engagements Include:
- Representing a Swedish defence company in a contractual dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence.
- Representing a US manufacturer of military aircrew training centrifuges and avionics maintenance trainers in an arbitration with the UK Ministry of Defence.
- Representing a major US defence contractor in a dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence relating to wrongful termination of contract.
- Representing a UK communications and electronic systems company in a dispute with the UK Ministry of Defence relating to wrongful termination of contract.
- Representing a US defence company in a software dispute with a European software developer.
- Representing a UK defence company in a sub-contract dispute with a military vehicle manufacturer.
- Advising an aero-engine manufacturer in a potential dispute with its subcontractor in relation to subsystems of engines supplied to a civil aircraft manufacturer.
- Advising a European defence contractor on its bid/proposal documentation in respect of the UK Ministry of Defence procurement of a next-generation weapon system and subsequently a potential dispute under the contract.
- Representing Norwegian, Swedish, German, US, and UK companies in defence-related transactions and disputes.
- Advising a UK defence contractor on bid protest issues arising under the UK Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.
IP-Related Matters Include:
- Patent infringement litigation for a Taiwanese electronics company.
- Defending an Irish polyurethane foam manufacturer in infringement proceedings in the English and Northern Irish High Courts.
- Patent and design right infringement litigation for a UK pump manufacturer.
- Copyright and database right litigation for a UK specialist newspaper.
- Trademark litigation for a hedge fund.
- Defending a UK electronic monitoring company in patent infringement proceedings.
Significant IP Advisory and Transactional Matters Have Included:
- Advising Indian television company on the IP aspects of a JV deal with a US TV and media company.
- Advising Saudi Aramco in relation to numerous chemical plant technology transfer agreements (TTAs) associated with the Rabigh project.
- Advising Tobolsk Polymer in relation to TTAs with Ineos and UOP relating to polymer plants being built in Russia.
- Advising Sohar Aluminum in relation to a TTA with Aluminum Pechiney relating to an aluminium plant being built in Oman.
- Advising Mozal on an aluminum plant being built in Mozambique.
- Advising Mubadala on an aluminum plant being built in Australasia.
- Advising Celanese Corporation in relation to a TTA relating to the construction of a polymer plant in Saudi Arabia.
- Advising Rusnano in relation to technology transfer and other issues.
- Advising SAES in relation to a technology transfer agreement relating to chemical vapour deposition.
- Advising Swedish Biofuels in relation to a project relating to the construction of a biofuel plant in Sweden.
- Advising a UK pharmaceutical company on licensing of intellectual property from a Chinese research institute; and Freedom to Operate opinions for medical devices manufacturer and electronic tagging devices manufacturer.
Credentials
Admissions
- UK Registered Patent Attorney, 1979
- European Patent Attorney, 1982
- UK Registered Trade Mark Attorney, 1991
Education
- Chartered Institute of Patent Agents, Fellow, 1979
- Manchester University, BS, with honors, chemistry, 1967
Court Admissions
- European Patent Attorney, 1982
- UK Registered Patent Attorney, 1979
- UK Registered Trademark Attorney, 1991
- Intellectual Property Litigator, Patents and Trademarks, 2012