James De Vellis, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP

James is a partner and intellectual property lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He is the chair of the Intellectual Property Department in Foley’s Boston office and focuses on strategic patent portfolio development, related counseling, and post-grant practice. James has a particular focus on cleantech, and is a member of the firm’s Electronics and Patent Office Trials Practices. He is also a member of the Automotive, Energy Transition, Hydrogen, and Technology Industry Teams, among others.

James' practice includes thoughtful preparation and worldwide prosecution of patent applications to build effective IP portfolios. He helps innovators secure both offensive and defensive patent protection, enabling them to operate in their intellectual space on their terms.

James is active in the areas of cleantech, electric vehicle technology, batteries and battery system management, autonomous technology, agtech, internet services, voice-based devices, medical devices, and other innovative spaces. James practices to advance clients’ business objectives by developing sustainable patent portfolios and by acting as a check on competitors’ patents that encroach beyond their appropriate boundaries.

James has experience in foreign jurisdictions, particularly Canada and Europe, to complement his U.S. patent portfolio development practice. James also prepares non-infringement and freedom-to-operate opinions for industry leaders, represents clients in appeal proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and guides clients through Canadian and European patent portfolio development matters.

James has previously lived and worked as a U.S. patent lawyer in Europe for an Italian firm, where he focused on worldwide patent procurement and portfolio development. Prior to entering intellectual property law, James was employed as an electrical engineer for a major brushless DC disk drive motor manufacturer.

Pinar Gencer