Colleen Tracy James

Colleen Tracy James is Co-Chair of Cahill’s Life Sciences Patent Litigation practice and focuses her practice on intellectual property matters, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent litigation and counselling.

As a first chair trial lawyer, Colleen has represented many companies with their bet the company cases. Colleen puts a premium on listening to her clients and building consensus among stakeholders so that she can craft strategies that respond directly to the client’s legal and business needs. In 2024, Colleen was shortlisted for Life Science Lawyer of the Year by the Women in Business Law Awards, reflecting the strength and breadth of her practice.

Colleen has been recognized by IAM Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Professionals guide, as among one of the “leading lights of the life sciences practice.” Colleen was further recognized by IAM Patent 1000 because she “has fantastic litigation skills and judgement and does a brilliant job when coming up against top adversaries. She is tremendous to work with and makes the job of in-house counsel so much easier.”

Colleen has received numerous other recognitions. Most recently, she was named to Corporate Counsel Business Journal’s 2024 50 Women to Watch list. According to Legal 500 US, “Colleen Tracy attracted client praise for her ‘overall depth of knowledge, dogged advocacy, and unfailing attentiveness to details of concern to the client.’” Colleen was recognized as a “Life Science Star” in the 2016 edition of Euromoney’s Legal Media Group (LMG) Life Sciences, and has been recognized as an “IP Star” by Managing Intellectual Property since 2014. She was also recognized as one of the “Top 250 Women in IP” by Managing Intellectual Property in 2016. Colleen was selected as a top Intellectual Property Law and Patent Law practitioner in the 2012-2021 editions of Best Lawyers in America. She was also named a 2013 “Woman Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal. Colleen was previously featured as a rising star and rising star in intellectual property law by Law360.

Recognitions:

• Best Lawyers in America
• Best Lawyers Business Edition
• Best Lawyers New York City Edition
• Corporate Counsel Business Journal’s 2024 50 Women to Watch list.
• Euromoney’s Legal Media Group (LMG) Life Sciences “Life Sciences Star”
• IAM 1000’s The World's Leading Patent Professionals (Litigation, Silver)
• Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America
• The Legal 500 US
• Managing IP, IP Stars (New York)
• Managing IP, IP Stars. Top 250 Women in IP
• Patexia Top 5 ANDA Lawyers
• Super Lawyers New York-Metro Edition
• Women in Business Law Awards Americas, Shortlist, “Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year,” 2024
• Best Lawyers Business Edition’s Women of Influence, 2017
• Best Lawyers Business Edition’s Special Edition for Women in the Law, 2016
• The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, 2015
• The New York Times, Top Women Attorneys in Metro NY, 2015
• The New York Times, Top Attorneys in Metro NY, 2015
• Profiles in Diversity Journal, Woman Worth Watching, 2013
• Law360 Corporate Counsel, “Top 10 Rising Intellectual Property Stars under 40,” 2010
• Law360, “Rising Star in Intellectual Property Law,” 2007