James J. Kritsas

Jimmy has experiences in all phases of litigation—from pre-filing investigations and discovery through trial and appeal. He has been involved in patent infringement cases in several federal district courts, including the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, and the Central District of California.

Additionally, Jimmy counsels on all matters related to patent strategies, patent validity, patent due diligence, and freedom-to-operate opinions. As companies evolve and modernize the way they operate, Jimmy ensures that they are able to establish exclusive positions to protect how they do business through procuring patent protection, as well as evaluating patent validity and freedom-to-operate positions for competitor patents. His ability to manage patent portfolios and handle important trade secrets allows him to counsel clients through the creation of a diverse assortment of IP programs.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Jimmy was an associate in the intellectual property practice group of another global law firm. While in law school, Jimmy was the conference editor of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, and served as a judicial extern for Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., and Magistrate Judge Michael Mason of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Prior to his legal career, Jimmy worked as an engineer where he provided engineering design services for clients in the energy & chemical; food & beverage; pharma & biotech; and manufacturing industries.

• Served as trial counsel for a global chipset company in a technology theft case related to WiFi chipset source code. Secured a favorable settlement for the client after a two-week jury trial.
• Represented a medical device company in a 15-patent litigation involving spinal, hip, and knee implants and surgical methods with nearly $300 million in potential damages at stake. Shortly after the court's Markman ruling and within a week of the court accepting our inequitable conduct allegations, the case settled on very favorable terms for the client.
• Defended an LED lighting manufacturer in a patent infringement case against a competitor concerning LED dimming circuitry and integration with AC wall dimmers. The case was successfully dismissed at the outset and without any payment to the plaintiff.
• Seconded to a consumer products company client and performed a range of in-house IP responsibilities related to licensing, patent and trademark portfolio analysis, product clearance, and design around recommendations.
• Represented a construction company in a patent dispute with an equipment supplier related to water treatment systems. All patent counts were dismissed at the outset of the case.
• Served as lead counsel for a pro bono client in a right of publicity lawsuit in Illinois State court and achieved a complete victory for client at the motion to dismiss stage.