James McManis, a founding partner of the leading Northern California trial firm McManis Faulkner, joins XDL Group, a nationwide network of veteran trial lawyers and intellectual property (IP) professionals. McManis is the first California affiliate for XDL Group, which pools the talents, resources and experiences of its affiliated attorneys to provide clients with the resources of a large, national firm, but with the cost-effectiveness, flexibility and access characteristic of high caliber, smaller firms.
“Legal networks, like XDL Group, offer companies an alternative to national law firms. Essentially, we’re a group of high quality, like-minded lawyers who’ve come together to jointly and seamlessly handle larger, more complex IP cases – the same cases for which big firms with big overhead charge big rates,” said McManis. “As a trial lawyer, I’m pleased to affiliate with XDL Group and greatly appreciate the XDL Group practice model, which allows us all to play to our strengths and, ultimately, to our client’s benefit.”
“Despite what the larger firms would have you believe, intellectual property work is not just about the science behind the innovation. A good trial lawyer can cut right through even the most technical material to develop themes that a jury will understand and respond to favorably. Jim is just that sort of attorney, and with the support of the XDL Group team, we’re in an ideal position to quickly and effectively tackle client IP challenges in the Silicon Valley as we have been on the East Coast for the past two years,” said Wyatt Durrette, a Director with Richmond, Va.’s DurretteBradshaw PLC and a founding member of XDL Group.
In the 35 years since founding McManis Faulkner, McManis has represented many Silicon Valley companies with regard to commercial, trade secret and intellectual property issues. He also represents individuals in a variety of matters, including civil rights actions, employment disputes, and criminal defense. A member of the trial bar for more than 40 years, McManis is also a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been listed in The Best Trial Lawyers in America for 11 consecutive years and appears in Who’s Who in America. McManis received his J.D. from Berkeley Law at the University of California (1967) and his B.A. in history, with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford University (1964).