James Hatton is a commercial solicitor with more than 20 years experience in assisting companies to exploit the value of their intellectual property assets, focusing on licensing and related transactions.

James is the partner responsible for the Technology Group at Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP, the law firm frequently identified by Lexpert magazine as the top corporate law firm and the top litigation firm in Vancouver, British Columbia.

James is listed as a leading practitioner in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, consistently recommended in the fields of biotechnology or technology.

James takes particular interest in collaborations between life sciences research companies and pharmaceutical companies. Recent transactions of note include the Merck Cardiome alliance, and the Lilly United Therapeutics alliance, which was the Licensing Executives Society's Health Care Sector's "Deal of Distinction" for 2009.

James is a member of the Business Advisory Committee of PrioNet Canada, a Network of Centres of Excellence for research into prions and prion diseases.

James is a member of the Board of Governors of Royal Roads University, a university based in Victoria, British Columbia offering undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in applied and professional fields, and a director of the Central City Foundation, one of Vancouver's oldest charitable organizations, established in 1907 by a group of citizens concerned about the number of homeless and hungry people living in the Gastown area of Vancouver.

James is an occasional lecturer and author on intellectual property issues, most recently moderating the Canada Leadership panel at BioPartnering North America on February 9, 2009, and presenting Making a great deal: ingredients for success (pdf), presented at BioPartnering North America in February, 2008, Trends in Life Sciences Alliance Agreements, presented to the Licensing Executives Society International (USA and Canada) 2007 Annual Meeting, and Trends in life sciences licensing for 2007 (pps), presented to the Licensing Executives Society, Vancouver chapter, in March, 2007.

James is a member of the International Bar Association Committee R (Technology), Licensing Executives Society, International Technology Law Association, Association of University Technology Managers, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, International Trademark Association, the Patent and Trademark Association of British Columbia and related organizations.

James is a former member of the Governing Council of the National Research Council of Canada, the government of Canada's premier research, development and innovation organization, which leverages Canada's public and private science and technology infrastructure for the benefit of Canadians.

James was the President of The Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society for six years, and remains an honorary life director of that organization. He is also a former member of the Judicial Advisory Committee for British Columbia, responsible for assessing candidates from British Columbia for appointment as superior court judges.