James A. LaBarre

How Jim Helps Clients

It would be difficult to find another attorney with the same depth and breadth of Intellectual Property (IP) experience as Jim LaBarre. He has over 40 years in IP law, and before that he worked in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

Today, Jim focuses his practice on the procurement, evaluation and management of IP portfolios. He helps clients develop IP strategies, prepares and prosecutes patents, renders validity and infringement opinions and handles licensing agreements.

Jim has experience in computer-related and e-commerce technologies, including operating system and application software, memory management, network systems, communication protocols, image processing and distributed computing environments. In these areas, he helps his clients determine the appropriate balance of copyright and patent protection relative to business needs.

IP law never gets boring. There is always something new to learn, and my clients are bright, creative people.

Jim's technical experience extends to the fields of wireless communications, digital electronics, digital signal processing, video technology and microprocessor control systems.

What Clients Can Expect

Jim communicates clearly and often, tapping into his knowledge, experience and unique insights to offer clients practical and strategic advice.

He handles processes and documentation with ease. And he helps clients develop policies and consider all decisions within the broader context of their overall business plan and industry environment.

Outside the Office

When not working as an attorney, Jim may still be involved with projects that require a mix of everyday practical knowledge and an interest in the uncommon.

He tends to the family landscaping, along with his wife and children, and immerses himself in woodworking projects. He has yet to give up on golf or skiing. And he has stood atop Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, to watch the sunrise.

Proof Points

• Was a partner with Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis, one of the oldest and largest law firms in the U.S. focusing exclusively on intellectual property, until its lawyers and other professionals joined Buchanan in 2005.
• Before entering private practice in 1977 with Burns Doane, was a patent examiner at the United States Patent & Trademark Office for three years.
• Past chairman of the Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Section. 
• Former co-chair of Buchanan's IP section
• Lecturer in the Patent Resources Group annual legal seminar, on the topic "Reexamination & Reissue — Prosecution and Litigation Practice."

• Recognized as an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property consecutively since 2013.

• "Top Rated Lawyer" in Intellectual Property, 2013.

• Has received AV Preeminent® distinction from Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, the highest peer rating standard.

• Has overseen projects involving the preparation and filing of large numbers of patents to protect clients' new products at the time of their launch, including the rollout of a new operating system for a major computer manufacturer, an automated server provisioning system and wireless telecommunications technologies.