James Collins
Patent Attorney - Partner
James Collins is a patent attorney with deep experience in prosecution, clearance, Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) proceedings, and district court litigation.
With a background in both mechanical and electrical engineering, James counsels government agencies, research institutions, and global corporations. His clients are at the forefront of innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, nuclear power, big data, nanotechnology, microscopy, mobile applications, audio processing, automotive systems, telematics, DNA analysis, e-commerce, insurance technologies, and medical software.
His engineering and management experience at General Motors gives him a unique ability to blend business insight with legal and technical acumen. James works closely with clients to evaluate, protect, and strategically allocate resources for their most valuable innovations. He regularly counsels on when to secure intellectual property protection and how to align patent strategy with broader corporate goals.
James is a seasoned representative before both district courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He has handled high-stakes reexaminations, post-grant trials—including some of the first proceedings before the PTAB—and patent infringement litigation in jurisdictions across the country, including fast-paced “rocket dockets.”
Committed to anticipating emerging technologies, James develops forward-looking strategies to secure and defend his clients’ intellectual property.
Areas of Expertise
Education
- J.D., magna cum laude, Marquette University, 1996
- M.B.A., University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1997
- B.S., Business Administration, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 1993
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
- U.S. Dist. Court, S.D. Indiana
- U.S. Dist. Court, N.D. Illinois
- U.S. Dist. Court, E.D. Wisconsin
- Illinois Supreme Court
- Wisconsin Supreme Court
Honors & Distinctions
- Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer, Leading Lawyers Network (2014–2016)
- Editor, Wisconsin State Bar Association: IP Newsletter (1996)
- Director, Marquette University Intellectual Property Law Review (1996)
Representative Matters
e-Beacon, LLC v. Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. (E.D. Texas) Defended against patent claims relating to VoIP technology; reached early resolution.
UT-Battelle, LLC v. Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. A PerkinElmer, Co. (Delaware) Represented a U.S. Department of Energy national lab in litigation over microfluidic technology; reached early settlement.
RFC Lenders of Texas, LLC v. Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. (E.D. Texas) Defended against patent claims involving vehicle monitoring technology; settled before trial.
Liberty Mutual Insurance v. Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. (USPTO) Represented patent owner in CBMR proceedings; secured confirmation of patentability in a landmark case.
Ex Parte Re-examination of U.S. Patent No. 7,124,088 and 7,877,269 Nos. 909/011,612, and 90/011,619 (USPTO). Defended patentability of online servicing system patents; patentability confirmed.
Ex Parte Re-examination of U.S. Patent No. 6,064,970 No. 90/011,252 (USPTO). Defended patentability in reexamination of patent directed to insurance underwriting based on telematics; patentability confirmed.
Phoenix Licensing, LLP v. Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. (E.D. Texas) Defended against infringement claims relating to financial and insurance marketing systems; settled prior to trial.
Parallel Networks, LLC v. AEO, Inc., et al., No. 6:10 cv 275 (E.D. Texas). Defended against infringement claims involving website technology; reached early resolution.
Soverain Software, LLC v. J.C. Penney Corp., Inc. et al., (E.D. Texas). Defended against infringement claims involving website technology; settled through mediation.
Constellation IP, LLC v. Marriott Int’l, Inc., et al., (E.D. Texas) Defended against infringement claims involving computer generated presentation systems; reached early resolution.
Charles E. Hill & Associates. v. Amazon.com (E.D. Texas) Defended an Internet-based product offerings against patent infringement allegations concerning electronic catalogs; settled before trial.
eSpeed, Inc., et al. v. Board of Trade of the City of Chicago (N.D. Texas) Defended against patent infringement allegations involving electronic trading systems; settled through mediation.
Tec Air, Inc. v. Denso Manufacturing Michigan and Denso Corporation, (N.D. IL & CAFC) Represented plaintiff in fan blade patent litigation; secured $25.2M jury verdict, increased to $40M+ with interest.