About James W.
James W. Dabney graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in 1976 and earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1979. He has practiced law since completing his legal education and built a career rooted in litigation and intellectual property matters.
He is a partner at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Over the years he has handled matters that move from trial courts to appellate forums. He is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey, and he is also admitted before the Federal Circuit, a credential that signals substantial appellate experience.
Much of his work involves intellectual property. That broad area includes copyright issues and related disputes. He has represented clients in contested proceedings and in counseling roles that require careful legal and factual analysis. He appears before trial courts and on appeal, and his Federal Circuit admission reflects repeated work on appellate questions of patent and copyright law.
Dabney’s professional affiliations reflect those practice priorities. He holds memberships in the American Law Institute and the American Bar Association. He is also a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. His memberships extend to organizations focused on intellectual property, including the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Copyright Society of the United States of America, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Those associations provide a backdrop for his practice. They connect him to current debates in IP law and to colleagues who practice at the intersection of technology, media, and traditional industries. He has participated in the professional networks that tend to follow developments in copyright, trademark, and patent jurisprudence.
Clients and colleagues expect a methodical approach. Dabney’s cases typically involve complex factual records and detailed legal questions. He is called on to brief difficult legal issues, prepare appellate records, and argue before higher courts when matters require it. His courtroom work and appellate practice feed into his counseling role, where he advises on risk and strategy.
He maintains an active practice at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and continues to take on litigation and appellate matters involving intellectual property and related commercial disputes. He currently represents clients in intellectual property disputes and related matters.
