James Mayer is an Associate in the firm’s Litigation Department. His practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, government and regulatory investigations, False Claims Act litigation, and employment law. In addition, Mr. Mayer has experience counseling tax exempt organizations and clients in the museum and art world in regulatory, white collar, employment, and other litigation matters. From 2021 to 2022, Mr. Mayer served as a law clerk to the Hon. Cheryl Ann Krause of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. From 2020 to 2021, he served as law clerk to the Hon. Katherine Polk Failla of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Mayer previously practiced law in the New York office of a national law firm.

Commercial Litigation

  • Represented major pharmaceutical company in high-stakes contract dispute in commercial arbitration, assisting client in obtaining favorable settlement on eve of trial.
  • Defending global investment firm against defamation and breach-of-contract claims, resulting in denial of all claims following eight-day arbitration hearing.
  • Representing one of the nation’s largest commercial banks as a defendant in a long-running series of antitrust litigations.
  • Counselled law firm facing allegations of malpractice arising out of representation in bankruptcy and criminal proceedings.

White Collar and Investigations

  • Representing large international media company in connection with state attorney general investigation and subsequent state court litigation arising under state false claims act, securing dismissal of state’s complaint on motion to dismiss.
  • Representing prominent museums in connection with civil litigation and investigations by the Manhattan District Attorney concerning the provenance of works in the museums’ collection.
  • Advising not-for-profits in connection with investigations by the New York State Attorney General regarding compliance with state Not-for-Profit Corporation law.
  • Representing multinational pharmaceutical company in internal investigations relating to potential compliance issues.

Employment

  • Assisting employers in drafting effective workplace policies that comply with state and federal regulatory requirements and meet individual workplace needs.
  • Advising not-for-profit employers on a range of employment issues, including those related to anti-harassment and discrimination policies, employment and separation agreements, workplace policies, leave and vacation policies, and worker classification.

Museum, Art Law, and Tax-Exempt Organizations

  • Advising museums, art galleries, foundations, and individual collectors on a range of issues, including disputes over provenance, ownership, licensing, and loan agreements.
  • Advising museums and not-for-profits on a range of regulatory and compliance issues, including compliance with government grant programs and sanctions regimes.
  • Advising university regarding codes of conduct, Title IX compliance, and student and faculty conduct matters.

Pro Bono

  • Representing Iraqi detainees in a lawsuit against a U.S. military contractor for torture and abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison under the Alien Tort Statute in an appeal before the Fourt Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld clients’ $42 million jury verdict, garnering significant press coverage.
  • Representing individual who was assaulted by correction officers while incarcerated at Rikers Island in federal litigation; secured favorable settlement for client.

  • New York University School of Law (J.D., cum laude)
    • Executive Editor, New York University Law Review
    • Robert McKay Scholar
  • Macalester College (B.A., magna cum laude)
    • Fulbright Fellow
    • Phi Beta Kappa

  • New York
  • Texas

  • Guest Lecturer, “Holocaust and Nazi Era Restitution,” Cardozo Law School (Nov. 10, 2025)
  • “Wage & Hour Issues in Hiring and Compensation,” Patterson Belknap’s 2025 Employment Law and Employee Benefits CLE Series (Sept. 17, 2025)
  • Guest Lecturer, “Title Problems and Stolen Art: Holocaust Restitution,” Columbia University (Dec. 9, 2024)
  • "Social Media Considerations in the Employment Context," Patterson Belknap's 2024 Employment Law and Employee Benefits CLE Series (October 29, 2024)
  • "Ethics in Settling Employment Disputes," Patterson Belknap's 2023 Employment Law and Employee Benefits CLE Series (October 10, 2023)