James N. Pickens

James N. Pickens is a partner in the patent litigation group at Russ August & Kabat, specializing in high-technology patent and intellectual property disputes. His practice primarily involves representing patent owners in infringement actions against major technology companies. Pickens is known for his trial advocacy, having performed direct examinations for expert witnesses on patent infringement in multiple jury trials, each resulting in a verdict favorable to his clients.

His litigation experience spans several technology areas, notably mobile device connectivity, data management, and cloud messaging systems, as evidenced by his extensive work for Headwater Research LLC. He also handles cases involving high-frequency trading technologies, particularly those utilizing field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware, through his representation of HFT Solutions LLC. Other technology areas include smart thermostats, wireless licensing, and data compression. His case history shows a strong preference for the plaintiff side, with 10 of his 11 tracked appearances being for plaintiffs, often non-practicing entities (NPEs) or patent licensing entities such as Headwater Research LLC and HFT Solutions LLC.

Pickens has been involved in several notable patent litigation outcomes. He was part of the Russ August & Kabat team that secured a $175 million jury verdict for Headwater Research LLC against Verizon Communications in July 2025. He also assisted in obtaining jury verdicts of patent infringement against Google LLC in EcoFactor, Inc. v. Google LLC (2022) and ecobee Inc. in EcoFactor, Inc. v. Ecobee Inc. (2023). Further significant results include verdicts for Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l. against LG Electronics, Inc. and Apple, Inc. in 2016, and for Realtime Data LLC against Riverbed Technology, Inc. in 2017. While he has appeared as "Of Counsel" on the defendant side in Google LLC v. Headwater Research LLC, he also represents patent owners in post-grant proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

Prior to joining Russ August & Kabat, Pickens was an attorney in the Complex Litigation Group at Reed Smith LLP. He holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law (2015), where he graduated Order of the Coif, and a B.A. from Georgetown University (2012), graduating magna cum laude. He is admitted to practice in California (CA SBN 307474) and Florida (FL SBN 1018690).