​Jacob's path to law was shaped by diverse experiences across engineering, strategic consulting, and technology. Growing up in Austin, Texas, he developed an early interest in both how things work and how to make them better. He attended the University of Texas, where he pursued degrees in both Civil Engineering and general liberal arts studies (i.e. Plan II) simultaneously, graduating magna cum laude in each. His achievements at UT included being named Most Outstanding Engineering Scholar & Leader, serving as President of the Student Engineering Council (which was recognized for national and university-wide excellence under his leadership), and founding leadership programs that continue today.

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After graduating, Jacob joined McKinsey & Company as a Business Analyst. There, he worked with Fortune 100 companies on strategic and transformational initiatives. This experience taught him to see business challenges from the C-suite perspective and developed his ability to translate complex details into actionable strategy.

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Seeking to best leverage his technical background with his growing interest in problem-solving frameworks, Jacob next attended Harvard Law School. At Harvard, he served on the law school’s academic advisory committee and as Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Graduate Council. After graduating with his J.D. in 2005, he clerked for a federal judge in Dallas, where he gained invaluable insight into federal litigation practice and judicial decision-making. Jacob then began serving legal clients at Haynes and Boone LLP, where he practiced patent and other intellectual property litigation for three years.

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In 2009, Jacob made the transition to in-house counsel, joining Commercial Metals Company as sole counsel for their $2 billion international trading business. Over eight years, he handled the full spectrum of legal needs for a global operation, from negotiating complex trade financing and supply contracts across multiple jurisdictions to resolving an extensive docket of financially critical litigation that helped the business survive the Financial Crisis and return to sustained profitability. Jacob also implemented the company's first electronic legal billing system, coordinated outside counsel across six continents in over 20 countries, and structured compliance programs for OFAC, FCPA, contracts, and privacy.

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In 2017, Jacob joined Blucora, Inc. as VP of Legal Affairs & General Counsel for TaxAct, their tax preparation software division. As a member of both the Legal and TaxAct senior leadership teams, he provided wide-ranging guidance for a growth-oriented technology business, implementing hundreds of agreements to support the company's strategy and operations. His work included negotiating complex partnership agreements with financial service providers, guiding the rapid implementation of new product offerings, and mapping legal, compliance, finance, risk, and data review practices into new contract management and procurement processes. Jacob also reviewed many hundreds of marketing assets for each tax season spanning various channels, and acted as a key internal resource on privacy, data, and industry legal requirements, helping build programs and training to suit evolving regulation.

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Most recently, Jacob served as Senior Consulting Counsel at Sabre Inc., where he provided key support for senior team members out on leave and then spearheaded the legal approach as department point of contact on a billion-dollar, decade-long, transnational software development and outsourcing transaction.

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Jacob met his wife in law school at Harvard, where they both pursued their legal education. She is a recovering attorney who now practices community journalism. Together, they have three wonderful children in excellent local public schools. The family has spent most of their lives in Dallas, where Jacob continues to reside. They believe Dallas is the perfect place to raise a family and are excited by the city's continued growth and dynamic opportunities.

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The foundations of Jacob's career—civil engineering, strategic consulting, and law—have shaped his distinctive approach to legal problem-solving: understanding and connecting granular details to business objectives. He is an attorney who is excited by and comfortable with technology and innovation, starting with his technical background and continuing with ongoing professional education focused on Artificial Intelligence and its implications for business and law.

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Jacob is thrilled to be part of Fulton Jeang PLLC, where the firm's innovative virtual model focuses on delivering high-quality legal services at reasonable rates. He looks forward to bringing his multidisciplinary background to clients as they navigate legal challenges and seize business opportunities.