Rob Cobley

Rob is a commercial technology solicitor who helps innovative businesses structure, negotiate and manage the contracts that support their products, services and growth.

Since qualifying as a solicitor in 2006, Rob has advised businesses ranging from crowdfunded start-ups to large multinational organisations. His career has included both private practice and in-house roles, including with two internet service providers and a leading international technology media company.

Rob advises on a broad range of technology and commercial agreements, including:

• business-critical technology and systems agreements
• systems integration and outsourcing arrangements
• software development and licensing agreements
• mobile application, gaming and platform contracts
• cloud computing agreements
• SaaS, PaaS and IaaS contracts
• data protection and information security issues
• technology licensing and other IP-related commercial agreements

Rob has worked extensively with businesses developing and adopting emerging technologies, where the legal, technical and commercial issues are often evolving at the same time. His experience includes wearable technology, health tech, consumer technology, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, the Internet of Things, digital infrastructure and digital commerce.

He also has a strong background in transactional intellectual property, helping businesses protect, commercialise and license the technology and other IP that sits at the heart of their operations.

Before becoming a lawyer, Rob worked for a software development business spun out of IBM. Combined with his later in-house roles, this gives him a practical understanding of how legal advice needs to work alongside technical and commercial teams.

Rob’s approach is collaborative and commercial and takes time to understand what is driving a client’s decisions, asks the questions needed to identify the real risks and opportunities, and works as an extension of the client’s team to find a commercially workable way forward.

“Working with innovative businesses means being as agile as your clients. My role is to understand what matters most to them, balance legal and commercial risk and help them move forward when the landscape is new, uncertain or changing quickly.”