Balch & Bingham LLP

Intellectual Property/Trademark

Partner

James is a versatile litigator who represents clients in complex disputes. By combining technical scientific knowledge with the “boots-on-the-ground” trial experience of a prior federal prosecutor, James offers clients a strategic advantage in both the boardroom and the courtroom.

James’s litigation foundation was built during his service as an active-duty JAG in the United States Air Force. Serving as a prosecutor at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph and Buckley Space Force Base, he prosecuted high-stakes cases ranging from cyber stalking and larceny to aggravated assault and child abuse. His military career included a deployment to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, where he served as the primary legal officer for complex criminal and administrative investigations. This experience in navigating intricate regulatory frameworks and sensitive investigations now informs his approach to commercial litigation and construction defect disputes.

In his Construction practice, James represents owners and contractors in large-scale disputes, including securing a $13.6M award in a construction defect arbitration. His commercial litigation work is equally diverse, ranging from products liability defense for manufacturers to successfully navigating disputes involving complex goods and services agreements.  James has also assisted trial teams as appellate counsel in evaluating or drafting dispositive and Daubert motions and setting up matters for preservation on appeal.

As an IP specialist, James is a registered before the USPTO as a patent attorney. His practice focuses on the full lifecycle of a patent: evaluating the patentability of new products, ensuring products do not infringe on existing marketplace assets, aggressively defending clients against Non-Practicing Entities (patent trolls), and drafting and reviewing agreements governing IP assignments. Whether invalidating patents at the District Court level or enforcing patents against infringers, he ensures his clients’ intellectual capital is both protected and leveraged.

DRI - Lawyers Representing Business

American Bar Association, Litigation and Intellectual Property

Birmingham Bar Association

Cumberland School of Law, J.D., 2015, cum laude, Acquisitions Editor, Cumberland Law Review

The University of Alabama, B.A., 2010