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James Hurst
Lawyers profile
USA 2025
Lawyers profile | USA 2025: Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation, Intellectual Property, Litigation: General Commercial, Litigation: Trial Lawyers
James Hurst
Ranked in 4 Practice Areas
1

Band 1

Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation

USA - Nationwide

8 Years Ranked

1

Band 1

Intellectual Property

Illinois

16 Years Ranked

1

Band 1

Litigation: General Commercial

Illinois

10 Years Ranked

2

Band 2

Litigation: Trial Lawyers

USA - Nationwide

9 Years Ranked

Ranked in Guides
Global 2025

About

Provided by James Hurst

USA

Practice Areas

Jim Hurst is a trial lawyer who served on Kirkland’s Executive Committee. He’s been trying cases for over 30 years, including patent, products liability, trade secret, antitrust, fraud, and contract cases. He's also argued dozens of appeals including before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is one of only three lawyers honored twice in The American Lawyer’s biannual "Litigator of the Year” contest—the first for eight straight trial wins and the second for six straight trial wins. His trial wins are regularly reported in the press, including a 2019 American Lawyer articled entitled “Kirkland’s Hurst Wins, And Then He Wins Some More--How Does He Do It?” Benchmark recently named him “Trial Lawyer of the Year.”

Personal

University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1989 cum laude; University of Delaware, B.S., 1986 magna cum laude

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Chambers Guide to the USA

Litigation: General Commercial - Illinois

1
Band 1
Individual Editorial
James Hurst has deep expertise within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, drawing on longstanding experience as a civil trial lawyer.
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Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation - USA - Nationwide

1
Band 1
Individual Editorial
James Hurst has extensive experience in litigating life sciences disputes, even up to the US Supreme Court, and includes matters relating to trade secrets and patents, antitrust and product liability, contracts and criminal cases.
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Intellectual Property - Illinois

1
Band 1
Individual Editorial
James Hurst is an esteemed trial attorney with longstanding expertise in patent infringement cases. He represents clients in matters involving medical technologies, biosimilars and generic drugs as well as related branding issues.
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Litigation: Trial Lawyers - USA - Nationwide

2
Band 2
Individual Editorial
James Hurst is widely revered as a stellar trial lawyer for complex patent cases, regularly acting on behalf of clients in the life sciences space. He is based in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis.
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Contributions

Latest contributions provided by James Hurst

Global Practice Guide
Life Sciences & Pharma IP Litigation 2025
USA | Law and Practice
Jim Hurst
Sam Kwon
Ashley Ross
Jeanna Wacker
Authored by
Jim Hurst, Sam Kwon, Ashley Ross, Jeanna Wacker
Article • Dec 2024

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

James is the best trial lawyer in America. If I was the founder of a company or the CEO of a Fortune 500 business, I would want him.

Litigation: General Commercial respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

James Hurst is a phenomenal trial lawyer.

Litigation: General Commercial respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

James' skill level is off the charts and his reputation is very well deserved.

Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

An exceptional lawyer.

Life Sciences: IP/Patent Litigation respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

Jim Hurst is the best trial lawyer in America.

Intellectual Property respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

James Hurst is a very well known trial lawyer. His skill level is off the charts and his reputation is very well deserved.

Intellectual Property respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

James Hurst is a phenomenal trial lawyer.

Litigation: Trial Lawyers respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

James Hurst is a very well-known trial lawyer. His skill level is off the charts and his reputation is very well deserved.

Litigation: Trial Lawyers respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

James Hurst is our go-to litigator for trials and sophisticated litigation.

Litigation: Trial Lawyers respondent
Chambers Guide to the USA

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