James Williams is a partner in the firm's Litigation practice. He has been
trying cases and managing litigation for over 25 years as a government attorney
and a private practitioner. James graduated in 1985 from The Citadel in
Charleston, South Carolina, with honors, and earned his law degree in 1988 from
the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, he served in the
Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Air Force before moving to Seattle
and joining Perkins Coie in 1993. His practice involves complex business
litigation and civil trials (see a
sample opening statement), with a focus on contract disputes, mass torts
defense, corporate plaintiff asset recovery, consultant liability, consumer
protection and unfair business practices, trade secrets, bankruptcy court
adversary actions, and federal and state agency litigation.
James has
served on the firmwide Executive Committee and Associate Evaluation Committee,
and has chaired the firmwide Litigation Training Program, Community Service
Committee, Women and Minority Lawyers Committee, as well as the Seattle Office
United Way Campaign.
What legal services does this lawyer offer?
Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Bankruptcy
Awards
Listed in Seattle Business, “Best Lawyers in the Business,” 2012 - 2013
Listed in Washington Law & Politics, “Rising Stars,” 2000
Listed in Washington Law & Politics, “Washington’s Super Lawyers,” 2001 - present, and selected as one of "The Top 100 Super Lawyers"
Listed in Corporate Counsel Edition of "Super Lawyers" in Business Litigation, 2008 - present
Selected for “40 under 40,” a profile of young leaders in the business community demonstrating vision and innovation, Puget Sound Business Journal, 2002
Selected as a faculty member for “WSBA's Best of CLE 2004” based on instructor evaluations
Selected by the ABA as a Business Law Ambassador, 2004 - 2006
Selected to serve Washington as an ABA House of Delegates Member, 2005 - 2011
Selected as the recipient of the WSBA President's Award, 2005
Selected for membership in The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, 2007
Selected as the recipient of the Loren Miller Bar Association President's Award, 2008
Selected as a recipient of The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement, 2010
Selected as the recipient of the King County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Outstanding Mentor Award, 2012
Selected as a recipient of the 2013 Perkins Coie Annual Pro Bono Leadership Award for the Wilbur v. City of Mt. Vernon indigent right to counsel class action litigation