- Represented Microsoft Mobile Oy in a Section 1 Sherman Act case in Oakland, CA.
- Represented pollution control manufacturer Norit Americas in a five-week theft of trade secrets arbitration that resulted in an award of $37.9 million, in addition to a continuing royalty stream.
- Represented the world’s third-largest chemical company in matters across the U.S., ranging from alleged theft of trade secrets to breach of supply contracts.
- Represented as trial counsel a multinational generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in Hatch–Waxman litigation and other commercial disputes.
- Represented a major American beverage company defending patent infringement claims brought against its soft drink dispenser.
- Represented a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer in economic loss cases arising from alleged sudden unintended acceleration incidents.
- Represented a German luxury car manufacturer and its exclusive U.S. importer in multidistrict class action litigation in San Francisco in the Volkswagen “Clean Diesel” MDL.
- Achieved a settlement for a multinational flooring company in a Section 1 Sherman Act case alleging price fixing in the polyurethane foam industry.
- Represented a client in the infant products industry as successor trial counsel in a design patent, Lanham Act, and contract action arising out of allegations of product copying. The case settled after verdict while on appeal.
Senior Counsel,
- Phone: +1 404 881 7859
- Email: jim.grant@alston.com
A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Jim tried to verdict cases on behalf of clients from different industries in some of the most hostile jurisdictions in the country. While creative business solutions are almost always preferred, Jim was prepared to zealously protect his clients’ interests at trial in the event a reasonable solution could not be reached.
- Represented a client in the oriented strand board industry as successor trial counsel in a price-fixing action. The case settled on the eve of trial.
- Represented Rite Aid Inc. as lead trial counsel in a putative class action seeking damages for alleged improper reproduction and transfer of pharmacy records. The matter settled on terms favorable to the client.
- Won reversal of a class certification order as successor appellate counsel for Rite Aid Inc.
- Represented as lead trial counsel the world’s largest soft drink bottler in two lawsuits in disputes with more than 50 other bottlers concerning methods of distribution of products to mass merchandisers.
- Won a defense verdict for one of the nation’s largest resellers of high-end computer servers in a case claiming libel, slander, tortious interference, and RICO claims arising out of alleged misrepresentations concerning computer servers recovered from near the World Trade Center disaster area.
- Negotiated settlements for a lease-finance company in two lawsuits seeking to recover on third-party guarantees of $35 million in lease obligations of information technology equipment. The settlements came after the cases withstood summary judgment motions in federal courts.
- Represented a Fortune 50 company before the North Carolina Supreme Court in a defense of the constitutionality of the state’s statutory punitive damages cap.
- Served as litigation counsel to the Enron Bankruptcy Examiner, handling all in-court appearances and leading the investigation into investment bank and law firm relationships with Enron.
- Achieved a favorable settlement as lead trial counsel in the breach of a multimillion-dollar take-or-pay contract.
- Won reversal of a class certification order as appellate counsel for a chiropractic clinic in a case alleging improper referrals to a personal injury law firm.
Jim Grant is a seasoned trial lawyer and the former co-leader of the firm’s national Litigation Area. He tried more than 30 cases to a jury verdict or arbitration award and handled more than 50 federal and state appeals. Some of the largest companies in America relied on Jim to lead enterprise risk litigation, including complex trade secret and intellectual property cases, merger and acquisition disputes, and class actions. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Over the past 31 years, Jim’s clients included 18 Fortune 500 companies. He served as litigation counsel for clients in a wide range of industries, including the world’s largest software company, an international chemical manufacturer, a nationwide drug store chain, and the world’s largest soft drink manufacturer, and companies in pharmaceuticals, financial services, and manufacturing. Jim handled litigation from its inception but was often brought in as trial counsel or to appeal a case following an adverse verdict.
Jim understood that clients win when they achieve their business objectives and began each engagement looking for a positive resolution that stops short of carrying a matter to trial. When matters could not be resolved through negotiation, Jim drew on the support of the firm’s diverse litigation groups to bring a team with the right experience to every type of dispute.
Bar Admissions
- Georgia
Education
- Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1989)
- University of Michigan (A.B., 1986)
Memberships
- American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
- State Bar of Georgia
- Atlanta Bar Association
- Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation, Advisory Board
- Andrew P. Stewart Center, Advisory Board
- Make-A-Wish Foundation, former board member and chairman
Accolades
- The Best Lawyers in America©, 2000–2023
- BTI Client Service All-Star, Litigation, 2014
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Litigation: General Commercial, 2008–2023
- Martindale-Hubbell, Georgia’s Top Rated Lawyers, 2015