James Hatton KC

Corporate & Commercial

Intellectual Property

International Trade

Technology; Life Sciences

Emerging Companies & Start-ups

Called to the British Columbia Bar, 1986

Member of the Law Society of British Columbia

Member of the Canadian Bar Association

Chambers Canada Ranked Lawyers (2026)

The Best Lawyers in Canada (2026)

The Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice (2025)

Lexpert Leading Lawyers in Canada (2024)

Lexpert Leading Technology and Health Sciences Lawyers (2024)

Martindale-Hubbell Ranking (BV)

Queen’s Counsel (2010)

James Hatton is a commercial solicitor with more than 30 years experience assisting companies to exploit the value of their intellectual property assets. He is the Partner responsible for the Technology Group at Farris LLP, the law firm frequently identified by Lexpert as the top corporate firm in Vancouver, British Columbia.

James is frequently listed as a leading practitioner in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, repeatedly recommended in the fields of life sciences & health, and technology transactions. Best Lawyers has recognized James since 2012 in the practice areas of biotechnology law and life sciences, corporate law, intellectual property law, and technology law and has named James as Vancouver’s “Biotechnology Law Lawyer of the Year” three times. Chambers ranks James in Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial.

James is an advisory board member for STEMCELL Technologies, Canada’s largest and most successful biotechnology company.

James has served as a director or officer of many organizations, including:

BC Hydro, the principal electricity utility for the province of British Columbia, and Powerex, the exporting subsidiary of BC Hydro; the BC Tech Association, a non-profit dedicated to making British Columbia the best place to grow and scale a tech company; and Aspect Biosystems, which specializes in 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering.

James has served as a director and past Chair of LifeSciences British Columbia, which supports and represents the greater life sciences community of British Columbia.

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 is a former 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. 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.