JIM A. COLES is co-chair of Taft's Intellectual Property Practice and an influential leader in technology and business issues. He has vast experience with all types of intellectual property and technology matters, including agreements and resolving disputes involving technology and intellectual property issues, and helps clients determine the breadth and value of their intellectual property assets through audit services and strategies for protecting and exploiting those assets. Jim frequently assists local, national and international clients with intellectual property and technology agreements and issues in a broad field of technologies including but not limited to electronics, information technology, healthcare, software and medical devices. He is the founder of the ATAIN (Access Technology Across Indiana) consortium of nine Indiana-based research institutions. He has represented the Indiana Court System (on behalf of the courts) in the negotiation of agreements for development of software linking the various courts and other intellectual property matters.

Jim is a frequent speaker on a variety of intellectual property, technology and business topics, including patent issues, copyright and trademark issues, entrepreneurship, technology agreements, and intellectual property audits and strategies. He is also a frequent guest lecturer, and has instructed students at Indiana University School of Business, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Purdue University, and Ball State University. Jim is currently an adjunct professor at the Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis, where he teaches Intellectual Property Transactions. Jim is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where he chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Publications Committee for the Indiana Historical Society. Jim is listed in The Best Lawyers in America (1998-current); Indiana Super Lawyers (2004-current) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Honor Alumnus 2003).