Colleen Tracy James

A ranked patent litigator with Chambers USA, Colleen is described by clients as among one of the “leading lights of the life sciences practice.” Clients praise her, stating that “Colleen has fantastic litigation skills and judgement and does a brilliant job when coming up against top adversaries. Clients have also stated that “she is tremendous to work with and makes the job of in-house counsel so much easier.” Clients also praise her “overall depth of knowledge, dogged advocacy, and unfailing attentiveness to details of concern to the client.”

Colleen has repeatedly secured great results for her clients and her achievements have been recognized by many of the industry’s leading legal directories and publications. Chambers USA 2026 ranks her in New York Intellectual Property: Patent. Colleen has also been shortlisted for Life Science Lawyer of the Year by the Women in Business Law Awards and named one of the 50 Women to Watch by Corporate Counsel Business Journal. She also has been recognized as a “Life Science Star” in the 2016 edition of Euromoney’s Legal Media Group (LMG) Life Sciences and recognized as one of the “Top 250 Women in IP” by Managing Intellectual Property in 2016. She was also named a 2013 “Woman Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Colleen was previously featured as a rising star and rising star in intellectual property law by Law360. Her additional recognitions include repeated listings in Managing IP as well as IAM Patent 100, Legal 500 and Best Lawyers.  

Colleen also focuses on non-profit work as a board member of Life Science Cares New York.

 

Recognitions:

• Chambers USA, Intellectual Property: Patent
• Best Lawyers in America
• Best Lawyers Business Edition
• Best Lawyers New York City Edition
• Shortlisted for Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year, Women in Business Law Awards. 
• Corporate Counsel Business Journal’s 2024 50 Women to Watch list.
• Euromoney’s Legal Media Group (LMG) Life Sciences “Life Sciences Star”
• IAM 1000’s The World's Leading Patent Professionals (Litigation, Silver)
• Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America
• The Legal 500 US
• Managing IP, IP Stars (New York)
• Managing IP, IP Stars. Top 250 Women in IP
• Patexia Top 5 ANDA Lawyers
• Super Lawyers New York-Metro Edition
• Women in Business Law Awards Americas, Shortlist, “Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year,” 2024
• Best Lawyers Business Edition’s Women of Influence, 2017
• Best Lawyers Business Edition’s Special Edition for Women in the Law, 2016
• The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, 2015
• The New York Times, Top Women Attorneys in Metro NY, 2015
• The New York Times, Top Attorneys in Metro NY, 2015
• Profiles in Diversity Journal, Woman Worth Watching, 2013
• Law360 Corporate Counsel, “Top 10 Rising Intellectual Property Stars under 40,” 2010
• Law360, “Rising Star in Intellectual Property Law,” 2007