Finnegan partner James Barney was recognized by Law360 as a 2017 Intellectual Property MVP. James was in the spotlight this year for representing Aqua Products at the Federal Circuit, a victory which pushed the burden of proving patentability in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings onto the petitioner. Law360 interviewed James to discuss why he became an IP lawyer, what motivates him, and his advice to aspiring attorneys.
James followed in his brother's footsteps and became a patent attorney after being a nuclear submarine officer involved in technology and nuclear engineering. His love for problem solving is what motivates him. He said, "I really like to understand the client’s business and what’s important to them and what they consider to be a success in terms of litigation outcome, and I work as hard as I possibly can to achieve that success." He advises young attorneys to learn from senior attorneys' experiences and seek out opportunities no matter how intimidating they may seem.
