Biography
Jim is a seasoned trial lawyer with a national litigation practice concentrated on high-stakes contract disputes, product liability claims, trade secret litigation and corporate governance controversies, including directors and officers (D&O) liability, business divorces, and related valuation and control disputes.
He has tried cases and argued motions in federal and state courts across the country, earning a reputation for tenacious advocacy and meticulous case preparation.
Jim's clients include manufacturers of sophisticated industrial equipment, including automated process control systems deployed in power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities. Before entering the legal profession, Jim worked in a variety of industrial settings, giving him a firsthand understanding of the technical environments at the heart of his clients’ cases. That real-world experience enables him to develop case theories that resonate with judges and juries alike, particularly in disputes involving complex technical and engineering issues.
Since 2016, Washington Law & Politics has designated Jim as a "Super Lawyer" in Business Litigation.
Before Fox Rothschild
Jim originally joined Riddell Williams in 1999, following a two-year clerkship for Chief Judge Faye Kennedy of the Washington Court of Appeals. He practiced with Schulte Roth & Zabel (now McDermott Will & Schulte) in New York City from 2003 until rejoining Riddell Williams in 2007. Riddell Williams merged into Fox Rothschild in 2017.
Jim received his law degree, Order of the Coif, from Washington University School of Law, where he was a Scholar in Law, received the Honor Scholar Award, and served as an editor on law review. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Washington.
Bar Admissions
- Washington
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Washington
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
Education
- Washington University in St. Louis (J.D., Order of the Coif)
- University of Washington (B.A.)
Honors & Awards
- Recipient, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, King County Bar Association (2002)
- Selected to the list of “Super Lawyers” for Business Litigation in Washington (2016-2025)
