James Griffith

James Griffith is a patent litigation attorney with a practice focused on intellectual property (IP) protection, licensing, and disputes for a diverse range of brand owners, content creators, and rights holders. His technological and industry experience is broad, covering areas such as fine art, consumer products, entertainment and media, technology, healthcare, and food and beverage. Mr. Griffith’s practice encompasses the acquisition, protection, exploitation, and sale of intangible assets, advising clients on strategic brand protection, management of trademark portfolios, and creative brand enforcement strategies.

Mr. Griffith primarily works with Ziliak Law, where he serves as Head of the Intellectual Property and Entertainment and Media Practices. He is also listed as Of Counsel with MacMillan, Sobanski & Todd, LLC, having joined that firm in 2020. Prior to his current roles, he gained experience as a partner at an AmLaw100 firm and as senior counsel at a prominent intellectual property boutique. While internal tracking indicates one appearance on the defendant side, public records show Mr. Griffith represented the plaintiffs in Bodum USA, Inc. and PI-Design AG v. Starbucks Corporation.

His notable tracked case involved representing Bodum USA, Inc. and PI-Design AG as plaintiffs in a design patent infringement lawsuit against Starbucks Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The case, which concerned a patent (US8695486B2) covering the CHAMBORD® French Press coffeemaker, was resolved through a confidential settlement in December 2025, with all claims dismissed with prejudice. The patent at issue remained intact, with no invalidity finding on the record.

In addition to federal court litigation, Mr. Griffith has litigated numerous trademark disputes before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He also counsels clients on copyright matters, including fair use, infringement, licensing, and clearance, and handles related litigation. He is admitted to practice in Illinois, the Northern and Central Districts of Illinois, the Western District of Wisconsin, the District of Colorado, the Seventh Circuit, and the Federal Circuit.