Robert Eckford

Robert Eckford leads the GHAI work within the Bloomberg Data for Health Initiative. This follows eight years with the International Legal Consortium (ILC) at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free kids where he administered the Bloomberg/Gates anti-tobacco litigation fund, providing specialist advice on the intersection between tobacco and international trade and investment law. Robert also advised CSOs and government officials on drafting and implementing strong tobacco control laws, developed the Plain Packaging Toolkit, and led the ILC’s Legal Fellowship Programs. Prior to joining CTFK, Robert worked as a public law solicitor in the United Kingdom for 12 years, initially on mental health and education law under legal aid, before joining the UK Government legal service. He worked for the Official Solicitor of England and Wales then spent four years with the UK Department of Health where he led the legal advice on standardized packaging of tobacco laws and other tobacco control legislation, as well as advising on the UK’s negotiation of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive and litigation brought by the tobacco industry.