Robert D. Owen joined the New York location of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. in 2002. As a partner, his practice focuses on litigation and e-discovery matters.  He is head of the New York location's litigation group and co-head of the firm's E-Discovery and Information Management practice group.

Mr. Owen has practiced commercial law in New York since 1973, and has acquired broad experience in hundreds of cases before federal and state courts and before arbitration panels throughout the United States. He is a fourth-generation trial lawyer and has served as a faculty member seven times at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy's renowned National Session in Boulder, Colorado. He has also demonstrated jury trial techniques at workshops presented by the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association.

Prior to joining Fulbright, Mr. Owen conducted his own commercial litigation practice in New York City for over 20 years, since 1987 as co-founder of Owen & Davis PC. Owen & Davis was a 12-lawyer commercial litigation boutique that represented Fortune 500 clients in their complex litigation matters in the New York area and around the country. At Owen & Davis, he acquired the repeat business of sophisticated companies who came to rely on him to achieve a creative, early, cost-effective resolution to their disputes. He handled more than 50 matters for Wang Laboratories, Inc., more than 30 matters for Honeywell, Inc., 20 matters for General Tire, more than 25 matters for Thermo Electron Corp., as well as more than 20 oil trading disputes for a variety of American and international oil traders.

Mr. Owen was an associate in the litigation department at Sullivan & Cromwell from 1973 to 1981, where his practice focused on antitrust, securities and corporate governance cases, including class actions, shareholder derivative actions, and M&A matters. As a fifth-year associate, he successfully tried the antitrust portion of the trial of Kennecott Copper Corporation's claim against Curtiss-Wright Corporation.  He was also, while an associate, the lead trial lawyer on two other trials, and served as national counsel overseeing the defense of an intrauterine device.

Mr. Owen's long experience with computers -- in the 1960's he wrote computer code as an engineering student, in the 1980's he handled and tried numerous computer cases for Wang and in the 1990's under his leadership his litigation boutique was an early adopter of sophisticated litigation support technology -- has facilitated his nationally recognized work in e-discovery matters. 

He is also a licensed private pilot.

• Association of the Bar of the City of New York
• Second Circuit Federal Bar Council
• The Sedona Conference - Working Group on Managing Information and Records in the Electronic Age
  • Litigation Hold Special Project Team
  • Litigation Hold Trigger Special Project Team

• "Leading Lawyer," Competition and Antitrust, Legal Media Group Guide to World's Leading Lawyers (2007)
• "Top Commercial Litigation Lawyer," Corporate Counsel magazine (2006)
• "Super Lawyer" in Business Litigation, New York City, New York (2006)
• Best Lawyers in America (2005 - 2007)
• Who's Who in the World (1995 - Present)
• Who's Who in America (1998 - Present)
• Who's Who in American Law (1994 - Present)

• Co-author with Kevin W. Yankowsky, "New Federal Evidence Rule 502 Is Now in Effect: What Will It Really Change?" Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Alert, September 2008
• Co-author with Richard Zembek and Melanie Rother, "Northern District of California Defines Preservation Obligations Regarding Claims of Patent Infringement," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Briefing, August 2008.
• Co-author with Keith Angle and Laurie Weiss, "E-Communications Policies at the Forefront: New York Court Rules Plaintiff's Email Communications With His Lawyers on the Company's System Are Not Privileged,"  Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Alert: E-Discovery and Information Management, October 2007
• Co-author with David Moncure and Laurie A. Weiss, "Rough Riders: Navigating the Unpaved Road of Electronic Discovery," Internet Law & Business, March 2007
• Co-author, "Instant Messaging: Are The Risks Worth The Rewards?" Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Alert: E-Discovery and Information Management, February 2007
• "Two-Tier Discovery Alters the Discovery Landscape for Large Data Producers and Their Adversaries," chapter in Understanding the New E-Discovery Rules, Defense Research Institute (DRI) 2006.
• Co-author with Wendy Curtis and Sarah Warlick," And While You're Taking Out the E-Garbage . . . Implementing Procedures for Non-Current Backup Tapes," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Alert: E-Discovery and Information Management, November 2006
• Co-Author with Craig Rubin, "E-Discovery and the Attorney-Client Privilege: Minimizing the Risks of Waiver," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Alert: E-Discovery and Information Management, September 2006
• Co-Author with Beth Mazzagetti and Craig Rubin, "Take Out the E-Garbage . . . by December 1: Auditing and Eliminating Useless Computer Backup Tapes," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Legal Update: E-Discovery and Information Management, March 2006
• "Staying Up to Speed in a Fast-Changing e-World," e-Discovery Law & Strategy and e-Commerce Law & Strategy, Law Journal Newsletters, December 2005
• Co-Author with Charlene Brownlee, "E-Mail Headlines and Headaches: Is There a Technology Cure?" Dow Jones Corporate Governance, September 14, 2005
• Co-Author with Layne Kruse, "The Great American Litigation Game," Executive Counsel, March/April 2005
• Co-Author with Elizabeth Mazzagetti and Charlene Brownlee, "Zubulake V: Counsel's Increasing Responsibility to Monitor Client Electronic Document Retention," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Legal Update: Records Management Solutions, August 31, 2004

• "Getting Your Arms Around Your Data: Data Maps, Backup Tapes and Other Inaccessible ESI," speaker and panelist, Bloomberg Litigation Seminar: Hot Topics in E-Discovery, Bloomberg Headquarters, New York, NY, June 5, 2008.
• "The Sedona Conference's Voices From the Desert Program on the Recent Qualcomm E-Discovery Sanctions Order and Its Ramifications," Panelist, Web seminar, Jan. 29, 2008.
• "Fourth Annual Litigation Trends Survey Findings," Speaker and Panelist, 21 Club, New York, NY, November 6, 2007
• "E-Discovery 2007: Cautionary Tales and Best Practices," Anadarko Petroleum, Houston, TX, October 11, 2007
• "Discovery Technology: Best Practices Under the New Rules," Speaker and Panelist, Practicing Law Institute's conference Electronic Discovery and Retention Guidance for Corporate Counsel - 2007, New York, NY, October 31, 2007
• "What's in Your Closet?  Discovery of Disaster Recovery, Legacy and Other 'Inaccessible' Data," Speaker and Panelist, DRI Audio Seminar, June 26, 2007
• "What Lies Beneath: Disposing of Backup Tapes and Orphaned and Legacy Data," Web Seminar, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., June 14, 2007
• "Getting Ahead of the Game: Planning for E-Discovery Before Litigation Happens," Ernst & Young, New York, NY, May 31, 2007
• "Litigation Holds: Implications of the New Rules," Web Seminar, ACC, May 30, 2007.
• "Practice Under the New E-Discovery Amendments: The Battlegrounds of Conflict, the Promise of Resolution," Speaker and Panelist, BNA Legal & Business conference, Washington, D.C., April 12, 2007
• "U.S. Discovery Practices: The Impact on Privacy," U.S. Document Production and International Data Protection: Managing Conflicting Requirements, Indiana University School of Law conference, Bloomington, IN., April 10, 2007
• "Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Keys to a Successful E-Discovery Meet and Confer Process," Web Seminar, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., March 7, 2007
• "Sleepless in Seattle: Privilege Issues and Minimizing the Risks of Waiver under the Amended Federal Rules," Web Seminar, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.,  February 8, 2007
• "Imposing -- and Ensuring Compliance With -- a Litigation Hold," Speaker and Panelist, American Conference Institute conference, 4th Annual Advanced Forum on Document Management E-Discovery, New York, NY, November 30, 2006
• "Living With the Rule 16(b) Order: The E-Discovery Process Through Trial," Speaker and Panelist, Practising Law Institute conference Electronic Discovery and Retention Guidance for Corporate Counsel 2006, New York, NY, November 29, 2006
• "Staying Awake at Night: Managing Privilege Issues in the E-Discovery World," Web Seminar, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., October 24, 2006
• "The E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," Shell Oil Strategic Partners Conference, Houston, TX, October 19, 2006
• "Findings of the Fulbright & Jaworski 2006 Litigation Trends Survey," Web Seminar, October 18, 2006
• "The E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure," Eli Lilly & Co. Litigation Department, Indianapolis, IN, October 4, 2006
• "The E-Discovery Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure - The Unexpected Challenges of New Rule 26(b)(2)(B)," Speaker and Panelist, Houston, TX , September 26, 2006
• "The New Federal Rules and Litigation Hold Notices," Siemens Corporation, Iselin, New Jersey, August 17, 2006
• "Mealey's E-mail Discovery & Retention Policies Conference," Conference Chairman, New York, NY, March 30, 2006
• "Emerging Issues in E-Disclosure: What's Around the Corner?" PriceWaterhouseCoopers, London, England, March 21, 2006
• "Winning a Lawsuit v. Losing Millions: How Records Management Can Make the Difference," CNA, Chicago, IL, February 23, 2006
• "Litigation Hold Alternatives and Sedona Special Teams Update," Pharma Litigation Heads Roundtable, Research Triangle Park, NC, November 9, 2005
• "Findings of the Fulbright & Jaworski 2005 Litigation Trends Survey," (i) Web Seminar, Nov. 8, 2005, (ii) New York, NY, November 2, 2005, (iii) Houston, TX, November 1, 2005
• "Legal/Compliance Issues Surrounding Records and Information Management: E-Discovery and the Proposed Amendments to the Federal Rules," Speaker and Panelist, ARMA International Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, September 21, 2005
• "Litigation Hold Notices and the Defense of Spoliation Motions," Association of Corporate Counsel America, Compliance/Ethics Conference, New York, NY, June 27, 2005
• "Best Practices in Issuing and Managing Litigation Hold Notices," FIOS, Inc. Webcast, May 11, 2005
• "Best Practices in Issuing and Managing Litigation Hold Notices," American Conference Institute conference The Pharmaceutical Industry's Guide to Document Management and E-Discovery, Philadelphia, PA, April 20, 2005
• "The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005," CLE seminar, Fulbright & Jaworski, New York, NY, March 23, 2005
• "How to Survive Major Litigation," Second Annual General Counsel Roundtable, The Economist magazine and Corporate Board Member magazine, Metropolitan Club, New York, NY, December 2, 2004
• "The Duty to Preserve Evidence in an Electronic World: What's Ahead for New York State Courts," private seminar for New York State Commercial Division Judges, presented by New York State Bar Association Commercial and Federal Litigation Section, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY, November 16, 2004
• "Litigation Hold Notices in an E-World: The Lessons of Zubulake v. UBS Warburg," Chief Litigation Officers Committee Meeting, American Petroleum Institute, Houston, TX, October 12, 2004

1973 - J.D., cum laude, University of Pennsylvania Law School
1970 - B.A., Political Science, Northwestern University

Mr. Owen is licensed to practice in the State of New York and the following courts: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Tax Court, Second Circuit, Fifth Circuit, Sixth Circuit, Seventh Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Eleventh Circuit, Southern District of NY, Eastern District of NY, Northern District of NY, Western District of NY, District of Nebraska,  Northern District of Oklahoma and the Western District of Texas.

Flying, sports photography, boating, fishing, Maine, computers

• National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., Board of Arbitrators (1988 - Present)
• National Futures Association, Board of Arbitrators (1997 - 2007)
• St. Christopher's-Jennie Clarkson Child Care Services, Inc., Trustee (1985 - 1997)
• Dobbs Ferry (N.Y.) Board of Architectural Review, member (1984 - 1991)
• Colonial Springs Club, Inc., President (1984 - 1989)