James De Vellis is a partner and intellectual property lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP. He is the chair of the Intellectual Property Department in Foley’s Boston office and practices in the area of intellectual property, with a particular focus on patent portfolio development, related counseling, and post-grant practice, including inter partes reviews. James is a member of the firm’s Electronics and Patent Office Trials Practices. He is also a member of the Automotive and Technology Industry Teams as well as the firm’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Team.

James' strategic patent portfolio development practice includes thoughtful preparation and worldwide prosecution of patent applications to build effective IP portfolios. He helps innovators secure both offensive and defensive patent protection, enabling them to operate in their intellectual space on their terms.

James practices to advance clients’ business objectives by developing sustainable patent portfolios and by acting as a check on competitors’ patents that encroach beyond their appropriate boundaries. James is active in the areas of internet services, voice-based devices, seismic data detection and analysis, electric vehicle technology, batteries and battery system management, autonomous technology, medical devices, and other innovative spaces.

James has experience in foreign jurisdictions to complement his U.S. patent portfolio development practice. James also prepares non-infringement and freedom-to-operate opinions for industry leaders, represents clients in appeal proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and guides clients through European patent portfolio development matters.