Attorney Spotlight: James Graber
Who is James as a lawyer?
James is a partner attorney. He practices in property insurance litigation, commercial litigation, and patent litigation. As a lawyer James is very competitive. He’s been practicing for almost 10 years. He started in property litigation. This is the area James practiced in almost exclusively for 5 years or so. Since then his role at the firm has evolved. He now also handles products liability cases, car accidents, business breakups, copyright infringements, patent infringements, and more.
Why did James become an attorney?
James ran track at the University at Buffalo. A few years into being a collegiate athlete he realized that it would be coming to an end soon and he needed to choose a career, rather than a sport that was predicated on competition. James loves the feeling of having an adversary in competition where everyone wants the same thing but only one can have it. He ended up choosing law as that career. He was also obsessed with Jack McCoy at the time.
What is his most memorable case?
James’ most memorable case was one from when he was still an associate. He was working with Tony Rupp. It was a slip and fall case where someone hurt their shoulder. It was a very long and tense trial. The plaintiff was claiming that they had hurt their shoulder so badly that this person had to relearn to write with their left hand. During the trial they were asked to sign their name with their left hand and the signatures did not match at all. For James it is a memorable trial because you could cut the tension in the room with a knife.
Who is James outside of work?
James is the father of 3 children, all 5 and under. His wife is also a lawyer. James is the attorney advisor for the Nichols School mock trial team, and he is the commissioner of the lawyers’ softball league in Western New York.
What is his legal tip?
If you are a part of a civil litigation case talk to your attorney about the timeline during your first consultation. A lot of people come in to a civil case expecting it to be a quick process but it can take months or even years.
