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James Sandnes

James Sandnes

Partner

  • New York
  • 212.820.7760
  • 212.820.7740
Biography
James (Jim) Sandnes focuses on complex litigation, including cases related to insurance coverage, commercial and financial services matters. He provides a broad range of counsel to businesses (in many sectors), including insurers, MGA's, securities broker dealers as well as sales, marketing and technology companies.

With respect to insurers Jim’s expertise includes addressing D&O, general liability, and transactional risk exposures (including complex very high limits judgement protection insurance), as well as certain specialty polices, such as EB-5 visa insurance and technology warranties. 

In commercial litigation, his experience extends to national litigation on diverse subject matters ranging from corporate fiduciary litigation and aircraft leasing to sales and marketing, technology contracts, trade secret, business tort, business break up and appraisal and employment matters. He has also served as US discovery counsel in a multi-billion dollar international arbitration related to cell phone frequency licensing.

Prior to joining Skarzynski Marick, Jim served as corporate general counsel to a Reston, Virginia-based technology company. In his in-house role, he gained diverse experience in operational, transactional and litigation issues related to technology and licensing. As a result, Jim frequently advises clients on transactional, employment, entertainment and marketing issues. He has helped clients draft direct sales compensation plans, celebrity product endorsement contracts, national spirit alcohol marking contracts, technology use and licensing agreements, investment documentation and commercial, transactional and vendor arrangements. 

Jim served as a law clerk to the Honorable Mary Johnson Lowe, District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He then honed his skills as a litigator at a major Wall Street firm, where he worked on significant securities, media, First Amendment, entertainment, insurance, trade secret, trademark and taxation matters. 

For many years, Jim served as Skarzynski Marick’s Managing Partner and was also a member of the Executive Committee. Jim currently serves as the firm's Chief Financial Partner.




Honors

  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Rated, Judicial Edition, 2023
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Rated
  • New York Super Lawyers, 2011, 2013 - 2024
  • Served on a joint judicial screening committee of the New York County Lawyers Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York




Professional Associations

  • New York County Lawyers Association, Member
  • Federal Bar Counsel, Member
  • Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS), Member
Education
  • J.D., New York Law School, cum laude, 1984
  • B.A., The George Washington University, 1981
Bar admissions
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania