James “Tripp” Fussell is a partner in Mayer Brown’s Washington DC office. He is a member of our Intellectual Property practice where he focuses on litigating complex patent cases in federal courts throughout the country involving a wide variety of technologies.

Tripp represents some of the world’s leading technology companies both as plaintiffs and defendants. He has handled significant cases, including as lead counsel, in matters before US federal district courts throughout the nation (e.g., Texas, Delaware, Virginia, California and Ohio) as well as the US International Trade Commission and the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has extensive experience with a variety of technologies, including: digital media transmission, semiconductors, operating systems, wired and wireless networks, enterprise security systems, network identity management, light emitting diodes (LEDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), data storage systems, medical devices and numerous consumer electronics fields. He also has been involved in cases implicating standard setting organizations and is experienced in the nuances of litigating standard essential patents. Tripp has wide-ranging experience in all phases of patent litigation, including pre-filing investigation, discovery, claim construction and trial as well as settlement negotiations and licensing agreements.

An engineer and registered patent attorney, Tripp has also counseled clients on all aspects of IP portfolio management, including prosecution, acquisition and licensing. He draws on this experience when advising clients on the strategic nexus associated with patent prosecution and litigation, which is increasingly more important in light of the new procedures available for challenging patents at the US Patent and Trademark Office (e.g., post grant review and inter partes review).

In 2011, Tripp was selected as one of the Washington Business Journal’s “40 Under 40,” based on his professional achievements and commitment to community service. He has also been named a Super Lawyer “Rising Stars” (2014-15) and Super Lawyer (2016).

Following graduation from law school, Tripp clerked for the Honorable David Folsom of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. His clerkship experience extended over two years and exposed him to all aspects of the judicial system, including numerous patent infringement trials in both the Texarkana and Marshall Divisions of the Eastern District of Texas. Before joining Mayer Brown, Tripp was a partner at a litigation boutique in Washington DC, and he practiced patent litigation at a large IP boutique before that.