James N. (“Jim”) Willi is a long-time firearms owner, competitive shooter, collector, instructor, and Class 3 dealer. He is a Benefactor Member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), a Certified NRA Instructor in Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Home Firearm Safety, and Personal Protection in the Home, a NRA Range Safety Officer, a Defender Member of the the Texas State Rifle Association, a Life Member of the National Skeet Shooting Association, a Life Member of the Texas State Skeet Shooters Association, the Texas C-Class High-Over-All Skeet Champion in 2003, a Life Member of the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club in Austin, Texas, an Eagle Scout, an Adult Leader in the Boy Scouts of America, Capitol Area Council, and a Merit Badge Counselor for Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting merit badges, as well as many others.
Mr. Willi has over 26 years of civil, commercial, and intellectual property litigation and appellate experience, as well as considerable experience with Texas business entity formation, Texas NFA gun trusts, wills, trusts, estate planning, business transactions, contracts, intellectual property prosecution and licensing, and real property transactions. He has represented clients at all levels of federal courts including District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court, and at all levels of Texas courts. He is licensed to practice law in Texas and Colorado, registered to practice law in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas. Mr. Willi is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and the Austin Bar Association. He was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer by his attorney peers each year since 2014. Before practicing law, he was an electrical engineer from 1986 to 1996 involved in system operations and planning of electrical power distribution and transmission systems at Houston Lighting & Power Company. Mr. Willi has been a Licensed Professional Engineer in Texas since 1990.
Mr. Willi earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston in 1989, a Doctor of Jurisprudence with Honors from South Texas College of Law in 1995, and a Master of Laws in Intellectual Property and Information Law from the University of Houston Law Center in 2005.
Jim Willi is a native Houstonian, 6th generation Texan, and a proud descendant of hard-working German, English, Irish, Swiss, and Czech pioneers who settled in Texas during the 1800s.
He practices law with his wife, Tracy J. Willi, who focuses on civil, commercial, and intellectual property litigation and appeals in Federal and Texas courts. Having been licensed to practice law in Texas since 1992, Ms. Willi has extensive trial and appellate experience in business law, civil and commercial law, real estate law, patent, copyright, and trademark litigation, and probate litigation, much of which is reflected in numerous published trial court and appellate decisions. Ms. Willi has represented clients at all levels of Texas courts including County Courts, District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and the Texas Supreme Court. She has also represented clients at all levels of federal courts including District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Willi is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and registered to practice patent law before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Ms. Willi is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, and the Appellate Practice Sections of the State Bar of Texas and the Austin Bar Association. From 2003 to 2005, she served as Chair of the Women in the Profession Committee of the State Bar of Texas. She has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer in Civil Appellate Law each year since 2009. Ms. Willi is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the 5th and 6th Circuits, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas.
Ms. Willi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Texas in 1989, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law in 1992. Tracy was a Varsity Cheerleader at the University of Texas from 1985 to 1989.