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Experience 

Since moving his practice to the firm in 1987, Frank has established a proven track record as a trial lawyer emphasizing intellectual property, commercial and complex civil disputes.

He has been Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Intellectual Property since the certification was established and regularly appears in both trial and appellate courts across the United States.

Distinctions & Memberships 

  • Board Certified in Intellectual Property, The Florida Bar
  • Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum (limited to attorneys securing verdicts in excess of $2 million)
  • AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell for 20+ years
  • International Trademark Association
  • Weinfeld Patron, NYU School of Law
  • Tampa Mid-Town Kiwanis, Past President & Board Member
  • Tampa’s Best Lawyers – 2011
  • Florida Legal Elite – 2006-2011
  • Super Lawyers
  • The Best Lawyers in America© since 2006, in the fields of Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Intellectual Property Law
  • Hillsborough County Bar Association Member
  • Admitted to:
    • The Florida Bar – 1983
    • U.S. Supreme Court
    • U.S. Court of Appeals:  Third Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, Eleventh Circuit and Federal Circuit
    • U.S. District Courts:  Florida (Middle District, Northern District and Southern District – trial bar) and Illinois (Northern District)

Education 

  • University of Denver B.A., cum laude with honors – 1979 (National Merit Scholar)
  • New York University J.D. – 1983

When He’s Not Working Hard for Clients 

Frank is also a professional actor and enjoys foreign travel with his family.

Frank R. Jakes is a commercial trial lawyer and founder of the firm’s Intellectual Property Group. While specializing in intellectual property disputes, Frank also handles complex commercial disputes, including class actions. He regularly practices before the federal courts throughout the State, but also appears in the state courts, as well as courts in other jurisdictions. Frank is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He has also been listed in the Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine and included in Best Lawyer’s in America.

Unlike many intellectual property and commercial litigators, Frank is an active trial lawyer who also handles the resulting appellate practice. A member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates forum (limited to lawyers who have secured a jury verdict of $1 million), Frank has secured numerous jury verdicts in excess of $2 million. In one four month period in 2002-2003, Frank tried two jury cases resulting in judgments totaling approximately $40 million.

Frank is active in the International Trademark Association, having served on the Editorial Board of The Trademark Reporter, 1985-88, 1990-92 and 1994-97. He also served on the Federal Court Practice committee of the Florida Bar from its inception in 1990 through 2002, acting as chairman in 1998-99 and vice chairman twice. Frank is also a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1983 and is a member of the bars of the following courts: United States Supreme Court (1986); United States Courts of Appeals for the Third (2000), Eighth (2021), Ninth (2009), Eleventh (1986) and Federal (1994) Circuits; United States District Courts for the Middle (1984), Northern (1994) & Southern (trial bar) (1988) Districts of Florida.

A 1983 graduate of New York University School of Law, Frank was on the moot court team that won the 33d National Moot Court Competition and received the Best Oralist Team and Best Brief awards. He was also a member of the Order of the Barristers and served on the Moot Court Board, authoring Ruckleshaus v. Kaleidoscope Pictures, “The Copyrightability of Literary Characters,” 6 NYU Moot Court Casebook 82-17. He remains active as a member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the NYU Alumni Association and is a Weinfeld Patron of the Law School.

An Army brat, Frank was born in Hoppstadten, Germany and grew up in Florida where he attended Dixie Hollins High School before attending the University of Denver as a National Merit Scholar. Frank received his B.A. cum laude with honors in Political Science in 1979.

  • Bei Jing Han Tong San Kun Ke Ji You Xian Gong Si v. Atlantic Medical Products, LLC,  2022 Slip Copy 2022 WL 88167 (M.D. Fla. 2021)
  • Hollister Incorporated v. Zassi Holdings, Inc., 2021 WL 5984983 (11th Cir. 2021)
  • Baskin v. Royal Goode Productions LLC, 2021 WL 6125612 (M.D. Fla. 2021)
  • Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation v. Gulfstream Unsinkable Boats, LLC,  530 F.Supp.3d 1167 (M.D. Fla. 2021)
  • Kelley v. Safe Harbor Managed Account 101, Ltd., 2020 WL 5913523 (D. Min. 2020)
  • K.E.L.K. Corp. v. CCA Industries, Inc., 2019 WL 3854781 (M.D. Fla. 2019)
  • Hollister Incorporated v. Zassi Holdings, Inc., 752 Fed.Appx. 888 (11th 2018)
  • Foster Made, LLC v. Foster, 2018 WL 4693810 (E.D. Va. 2018)
  • Land’s End at Sunset Beach Community Association, Inc. v. Aspen Specialty Insurance Company, 745 Fed.Appx. 314 (11th 2018)
  • Land’s End at Sunset Beach Community Association, Inc. v. Aspen Specialty Insurance Company, 289 F.Supp.3d 1259 (M.D. Fla. 2017)
  • Anand Vihar LLC v. Evans Group Incorporated, 2017 WL 3022331 (M.D. Fla. 2017)
  • Land’s End at Sunset Beach Community Association, Inc. v. Land’s End Acquisition Corporation, 2016 WL 9526680 (M.D. Fla. 2016)
  • Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Inc. v. Jewel Homes, LLC, 655 Fed.Appx. 807 (11th 2016)
  • Cavern City Tours Ltd v. Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc., 2014 WL 12609871 (M.D. Fla. 2014)
  • Broadcast Music, Inc. v. Evie’s Tavern, Inc., 772 F.3d 1254 (11th Cir. 2014)
  • Every Penny Counts, Inc. v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 2014 WL 4540319 (M.D. Fla. 2014)
  • Industrial Engineering & Development Inc. v. Static Control Components, Inc., 2014 WL 4545857 (M.D. Fla. 2014)
  • By George, LLC v. Hurricane Shooters, LLC, 2012 WL 50498 (M.D. Fla. 2012)
  • JDA Health Systems, Inc. v. Chapin Revenue Cycle Management, LLC, 2011 WL 2518938 (N.D. Ill. 2011)
  • Hurricane Shooters, LLC v. EMI Yoshi, Inc., 2011 WL 3961820 (M.D. Fla. 2011)
  • Latimer v. Roaring Toyz, Inc., 2010 WL 3747148 (M.D. Fla. 2010)
  • Engelke v. Athletech Computer Systems, Inc., 38 So.3d 776 (Fla 2d DCA. 2010)
  • Latimer v. Roaring Toyz, Inc., 601 F.3d 1224 (11th Cir. 2010)
  • Athle-Tech Computer Systems, Inc. v. Knuwave, LLC, 2 So.3d 271 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)
  • In re Operadora DB Mexico, SA de C.V., 2009 WL 2423138 (M.D. Fla. 2009)
  • World Triathlon v. Hapai, 320 Fed. Appx. 778 (9th Cir. 2009)
  • World Triathlon v. Dunbar, 320 Fed. Appx. 795 (9th Cir. 2009)
  • Engelke v. Athle-Tech Computer Systems, Inc., 982 So.2d 3 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008)
  • World Triathlon Corporation v. Dunbar, 539 F. Supp. 2d 1270 (D. Hawaii 2008)
  • World Triathlon Corporation v. Dunbar, 2006 WL 897586 (D. Hawaii 2006)
  • Montage Group, Ltd. v. Athle-Tech Computer Systems, Inc., 889 So.2d 180 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004)
  • Scott v. School Bd. Of Alachua County, 324 F.3d 1246 (11th Cir. 2003)
  • In re: American Family Enterprises, 256 B.R. 377 (D.N.J. 2000)
  • Denno v. School Board of Volusia County, Florida, 182 F. 3d 780 (11th Cir.), sua sponte rehearing granted 208 F. 3d 989 (11th Cir. 1999), rev’d 218 F. 3d 1267 (11th Cir.), cert. denied 121 S.Ct. 382 (2000)
  • Epic Metals Corp v. Souliere, 181 F.3d 1280 (11th Cir. 1999)
  • Otworth v. The Florida Bar, 71 F. Supp. 2d 1209 (M.D. Fla. 1999)
  • Twigg v. Sears, 153 F.3d 1222 (11th Cir. 1998)
  • Epic Metals Corp. v. Souliere, 99 F.3d 1034 (11th Cir. 1996)
  • Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Inc., v. Maloney, 891 F. Supp. 1560 (M.D. Fla. 1995)
  • Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Inc. v. Berger, 910 F. Supp. 603 (M.D. Fla. 1995)
  • Arthur Rutenberg Homes, Inc. v. Drew Homes, Inc., 29 F.3d 1529 (11th Cir. 1994)
  • Epic Metals Corp. v. Condec, Inc., 867 F. Supp. 1009 (M.D. Fla. 1994)
  • Structural Panels, Inc. v. Texas Aluminum Industries, Inc., 814 F. Supp. 1059 (M.D. Fla. 1993)
  • I.J.E., Inc. v. Timely Publications, Inc., 610 So.2d 1296 (Fla.2d DCA 1992)
  • Workplace Corp. v. Office Depot, Inc., 1990 WL 106727 (M.D. Fla. 1990)
  • Howard Johnson Co., Inc., v. Khimani, 892 F. 2d 1512 (11th Cir. 1989)
  • Clayton v. Howard Johnson Franchise Systems, Inc., 730 F. Supp. 1553 (M.D. Fla. 1988)
  • Independent Roofing Enterprises, Inc. v. Celotex Corp., 512 So.2d 1133 (Fla. 2d DCA 1987)
  • Craft v. Florida Federal Sav. & Loan Ass’n, 786 F.2d 1546 (11th Cir. 1986)
  • HCA of Florida, Inc. v. Cooper, 475 So.2d 719 (Fla. 1st DCA 1985).

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