Otteson Law was founded by Jim Otteson, a Yale-educated lawyer with nearly 30 years of experience in complex commercial litigation, including more than a dozen high stakes trials throughout the United States. Jim won 75% of those trials and obtained positive results (including favorable settlements) in an even higher percentage of the many dozens of cases that did not go to trial.

At Otteson Law, we bring the full weight of our litigation and trial experience to work for you. Although victory is never guaranteed, we will work hard to get the best possible outcome for you and your case. We believe a successful outcome is only possible if you prepare a case with the end in mind – including a possible trial and/or appeal.

Jim Otteson

Jim Otteson graduated from Yale Law School in 1991 after receiving a B.S. in Microbiology (with minors in Chemistry and Scandinavian Studies) from Brigham Young University in 1988. Following law school, Jim clerked for the Honorable Byron J. Johnson on the Idaho Supreme Court.

Jim spent his first 18 years in private practice at Silicon Valley-based Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), the world’s preeminent firm serving technology companies. During his 11 years as a partner at WSGR, Jim litigated and tried numerous commercial and intellectual property cases for both plaintiffs and defendants in U.S. district courts and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC).

In 2010, Jim left WSGR to form Agility IP Law, a boutique firm that litigated and tried complex commercial and intellectual property cases throughout the U.S. While at Agility, Jim litigated and supervised 30-40 IP and commercial cases, and was lead trial counsel in four major patent infringement trials. Jim won three of those four trials, and obtained favorable multi-million-dollar settlements in the fourth.

In 2015, Jim negotiated Agility’s acquisition by the national law firm of Arnold & Porter (A&P); Agility formed the backbone of A&P’s Silicon Valley office. Jim later worked in the Silicon Valley office of Dechert, LLP, another national law firm based in Philadelphia. Jim continued to litigate and try complex commercial and IP cases at A&P and Dechert, before founding Otteson Law.

Jim is a member of the State Bar of California, and is admitted to practice in U.S. district courts throughout California and other states. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has briefed and argued multiple successful appeals.