James P. "Jim" Savitt
Recognized since 2014
Seattle, Washington
Bet-the-Company Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Intellectual Property

Jim specializes in the trial and creative resolution of substantial disputes for a diverse client base, including Fortune 500 companies and major e-commerce firms. While much of his practice has focused on intellectual property, corporate, and commercial matters, Jim believes that knowing how to win a case–developing and executing a strategy to prevail by motion if possible and by trial if not–is the most important skill of a lawyer handling complex litigation.
Jim teamed with David Bruce to establish Savitt Bruce & Willey in 1999, after a nine-year tenure as a partner at Perkins Coie. Jim began his career with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York City before finding his way to the Great Northwest. He is a graduate, magna cum laude, of the Georgetown University Law Center.
Outside of the office, Jim recently completed service as the Chairperson of the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (which owns and operates Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market) and is a past President of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington. Jim enjoys skiing in winter, playing infield on the firm’s softball team in summer (when we can field one with enough young guns to do serious harm), his morning workout, reading novels that his partner Steve Willey sneers at and, not least, time with his family, including two teenage sons who, depending on the day, are either keeping him young or making him old.
Areas of Practice
Contracts and Commercial Litigation
Corporate Governance Disputes
Financial and Banking Litigation
Intellectual Property Litigation
Risk Management and Litigation Avoidance
Real Estate Litigation
Securities Litigation
Prior Professional Experience
Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle WA, 1987-1999
Partner, 1991-1999
Associate, 1987-1990
Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York City NY, 1983-1986
- E-mail: jsavitt@sbwllp.com
- Direct Phone Number: 206-749-0500
- Phone Number: 206-749-0500
- Lawyer Page: https://www.sbwllp.com/our-lawyers/james-savitt/
- Joshua Green Building, Suite 800
1425 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101-2272
- English
- Spanish
- Cornell University, BA, graduated 1980
- Washington, State Bar Association
- American Bar Association - Member, Section of Litigation, 1999-present
- Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington - Immediate Past President, 2011-2012
- Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington - President, 2010-2011
- Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington - Secretary, 2007-2009
- Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington - Vice-President, 2009-2010
- King County Bar Association - Judiciary and Courts Committee, 1998-2000
- Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority - Chair, Finance Committee, 2008-2009
- Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority - Councilmember (Mayoral appointee), 2006-present
- Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority - Chairperson, 2009-2013
- Washington State Bar Association - Member
- United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- United States District Court, Western District of Washington
- United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington
- United States District Court, Southern District of New York
- United States Court of Federal Claims
- United States Supreme Court
4 The Best Lawyers in America® awards

- Bet-the-Company Litigation, Seattle (2021)
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Selected to Best Lawyers in America, 2014-2018
- Named in Chambers USA Guide to Leading Lawyers, 2013-2017
- Selected to Washington Super Lawyers, 2003-2017
- Selected to Washington Super Lawyers Top 100 List, 2007, 2010-2017
- Named one of “Washington’s Most Amazing Attorneys,” Washington CEO magazine, 2006
- Selected to Washington Rising Stars, 2000
- AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell (5.0 out of possible 5.0 peer review rating)
- 10.0 Rating from Avvo.com
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