James J. Burnett
James J. Burnett has over twenty-eight years of experience representing businesses and business people. His clients range from individual entrepreneurs and small, closely-held companies to major enterprises in the commercial, energy, and technology fields with national and international transactions and disputes. His trial practice has included cases in Arizona, California, Florida, and Illinois.
Mr. Burnett handles trials and appeals of business-related cases throughout Texas in both state and federal courts and before regulatory agencies. He has represented clients before the Texas Courts of Appeals, Texas Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Some of the areas in which Mr. Burnett represents domestic and international business are:
- Contract disputes
- Litigation in the energy industry, especially petrochemical exploration, production, and marketing
- Chemical industry litigation
- Computer and related technology disputes
- Technology development, licensing, marketing, and infringement disputes
- Copyright, patent, and trade secret infringement
- Administrative and regulatory authority investigations, appeals, and litigation
- Construction litigation
- Business torts
- Franchise disputes
- Real estate litigation
- Employer - employee disputes and employment litigation, including white-collar civil prosecution and criminal defense
Whitley L.L.P., Attorneys at Law invites you to contact our firm to discuss your legal situation, options, and strategies in any dispute that you may be involved in or that you believe you may face.
Areas of Practice
- Business and Commercial Law
- Business Litigation and Appeals
- Energy Law
- Chemical Law
- Technology Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- Administrative and Regulatory Law
Litigation Percentage
- 90% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1983
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1984
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1984
Education
- The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
- J.D. - 1983
- Honors: Dean's List
- Honors: American Jurisprudence Award in Marital Law and Divorce, 1983
- Honors: American Jurisprudence Award in Constitutional Law, 1981
- Honors: American Jurisprudence Award in Federal Civil Procedure, 1980
- The University of Texas at Austin
- B.A. - 1978
- Honors: With High Honors
- Honors: Dean's List
- Honors: Fellow, the University of Texas at Austin, 1980
- Honors: Junior Fellow, the University of Texas at Austin, 1977
- Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, 1976
- Honors: Phi Eta Sigma, 1975
- Honors: Brown University Man of Letters, 1975
- Major: History
Published Works
- "The Modern Crusaders" (Survey of Strategies in Seismic Litigation), International Association of Geophysical Contractors, 2005
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Texas, Civil Litigation, Commercial, Computer, and Corporate Counsel Sections, Member
- American Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
- International Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
Past Employment Positions
- The Law Office of James J. Burnett, Owner, 1995 - 2010
- Knox, Walden & Burnett, P.C., Shareholder, 1986 - 1995
- Haynes & Fullenweider, P.L.L.C., Associate, 1985
- Court of Appeals for the First Judicial District, Houston, Texas, Briefing Attorney, 1984
Languages
- English
- Spanish
- German
