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James L. Mink

Partner

E jmink@wfbm.com
T (415) 781-7072
| F (415) 391-6258

Overview

James Mink concentrates his practice on a broad range of complex litigation matters, including toxic torts and environmental cleanup actions, product liability matters and business litigation. He has served on trial teams for several multi-million dollar jury trials and has represented clients in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate level.

James has represented a number of companies in complex toxic tort litigation, including defending food and agricultural chemical companies against Proposition 65 consumer labeling lawsuits by individual plaintiffs and the state Attorney General.

James has also represented several Fortune 500 companies in complex commercial litigation, including matters that involve copyright infringement and claims of unfair competition and antitrust violations.

James also worked as a deputy public defender in Contra Costa County for two years, trying 20 cases to jury verdict.

Representative Successes
  • Achieved a satisfactory court order for a major Northern California utility company in a water pollution claim.
  • Successfully challenged a California city’s efforts to order the placement of a utility switching station on property a client had remediated for future residential development, and defended against private party lawsuits seeking reimbursement for CERCLA cleanup costs.
  • Successfully litigated the issue of personal jurisdiction over a foreign component part manufacturer in California courts and the United States Supreme Court, including the drafting of a petition for review and a petition for certiorari.
  • Successfully appealed a pro bono client’s conviction for wire fraud, resulting in Ninth Circuit opinion that clarified the intent standard for bankruptcy fraud.
  • Represented a payroll and management software company in a lawsuit alleging over $1 billion in copyright infringement damages
  • Represented a computer and online music company in an antitrust case.
  • Defended a credit card company against claims of unfair competition and antitrust violations by credit card processors.
  • Represented an agricultural company in its defense of litigation brought by competitors in the aftermath of a nationwide consumer recall.
  • Defended a Canadian component part manufacturer against a finished product manufacturer’s cross-complaint for indemnity for consumer personal injury claims.
  • Represented a large, privately-held San Francisco corporation in handling an international product recall, defending against recall-related lawsuits brought by consumers and other companies, and securing insurance coverage for the recall, defense, indemnity and property damage.
  • Represented a mortgage lender in two statewide wage-and-hour putative class claims involving alleged misclassification, uncompensated overtime and missed meal and rest breaks.
Industry Involvement

Professional Affiliations:

  • Bar Association of San Francisco, Judiciary Committee
  • California State Bar Association, Statewide Resolutions Committee
Beyond the Office

James received his J.D. (2001) from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was a Judicial Extern to the Hon. Claudia Wilken, Northern District of California, (Fall 1999). He served on the Moot Court Board, and was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award for Legislative Policy Analysis. He founded the Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law (originally the California Criminal Law Review), now in its 22nd volume.

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