James Shinn Graham

Jim has been practicing law continuously for the last 48 years.  For approximately the first 25 years of his career, his practice area was business litigation.  But over the last several years he has been litigating cases in the probate court and handling probate and trust administrations. However, he will become an inactive member of the State Bar on January 31, 2022. Thus, he has stopped accepting any new cases or clients. 

Over the years, Jim has litigated cases in the Superior Courts in 15 California counties and the U.S. District Courts in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  In addition, he has appeared in the California Courts of Appeal in San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento, the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.   His cases have been published in the Federal Supplement, the Bankruptcy Reporter, the California Appellate Reports, Third Series and Fourth Series, and the U.S. Reports.  He has served as an arbitrator in attorney-client fee dispute cases on several occasions under the auspices of the San Diego County Bar Association.

Jim began his career in the San Francisco bay area.  After returning too San Diego where he was raised, he spent ten years as an associate and a partner with two downtown firms specializing in business litigation.  For the last twenty-four years he has been practicing law on his own.  Much of his work is derived from referrals from other attorneys.  Frequently he will be brought into cases by other firms. Since establishing his own practice, he has worked with such firms as O'Melveny & Myers; Blackmar, Principe & Schmelter; Phillips, Haskett & Ingwalson; Alhadeff & Solar, LLP; and Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, P.C.  In addition, he served as a legal consultant to a member of the California Board of Equalization.  He has an "AV" rating from Martindale & Hubbell.

Jim is a fifth generation Californian and a third generation member of the California bar.  Members of his family have been continuously practicing law in California since 1913.  He has been married for 45 years and has two adult sons and 4 grandchildren.