Jim Grant

Jim Grant has over forty years’ experience as a litigator. Before coming to FIRE, Jim was a partner at two national law firms (most recently at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP for 15 years) and vice president and chief litigation counsel for AT&T Wireless Services. 

Jim has handled cases across the country – class actions, complex commercial matters, actions against state and federal authorities – for clients such as Amazon, AT&T, ARCO, Exxon, T-Mobile, Expedia, and Savers.

Jim has extensive experience in litigating and defending free speech rights. He has won cases for websites and online intermediaries enforcing protections of the Communications Decency Act. He has successfully prosecuted cases to invalidate speech-restrictive state laws. He’s obtained dismissals of criminal charges and grand jury subpoenas on First Amendment and free speech grounds. He won an eight-year litigation to reinforce the First Amendment’s full protection of charitable solicitation speech. Cases Jim led have been recognized as establishing important precedents for speech rights, including Backpage.com v. Dart (7th Cir. 2015 with Bob Corn-Revere), which invalidated a sheriff’s informal prior restraint; Jane Doe No. 1 v. Backpage.com (1st Cir. 2016), which upheld website protections under CDA § 230; and State v. TVI, Inc. (Wash. 2023), dismissed state attorney general’s claims against protected charitable solicitation speech.

Jim has been repeatedly recognized on “Super Lawyers” lists and in publications of “Best Lawyers in America.” Jim received a B.A. in Finance from Washington State University (summa cum laude) and earned his law degree from the University of Washington School of Law (with high honors). He clerked for Judge Betty Binns Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and also worked for Ninth Circuit Judge Eugene A. Wright. Jim is based in Seattle, Washington and is a resolute tree-hugger (people who don’t want to leave this corner of the country).