ABOUT
Dr. James Lee is a licensed mechanical engineer, patent holder, and trusted expert witness specializing in complex mechanical and electromechanical systems. With over three decades of experience spanning industry and academia, he has led fuel cell innovation at General Motors, designed aircraft components at Boeing, and taught engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology for over 20 years, where he is now a professor emeritus.
His areas of expertise include fluid dynamics, heat transfer, internal combustion engines, fuel cell systems, and forensic engineering/failure analysis.
Now, he partners with attorneys and their legal teams to bring clarity to complexity — translating technical concepts into clear, defensible analysis for patent litigation and failure analysis. Known for his calm presence under pressure, scientific integrity, and commitment to truth, Dr. Lee helps ensure that innovation gets the protection it deserves — and the hearing it needs.
“Progress depends on protecting the ideas that move us forward.”
-Dr. James Lee, PhD, PE
Dr. Lee has been “building a better mousetrap” his entire life.
The animal feed kept disappearing in rural North Dakota on Jim’s family farm. Five-year-old Jim Lee stood barefoot in the barn — scraps of materials around him, a plan forming in his young mind. He would build a trap that would close automatically when triggered by the mouse.
He made it out of scrap wood, a piece of string, and the kind of logic that comes from clear observation of the way things work. It was crude. It was clever. And it worked.
That mousetrap wasn’t just a win in the war on barn mice — it was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to innovation.
From the farm to the wings of a Boeing 777, Dr. Lee has spent his life designing systems, refining ideas, and turning possibility into precision. With a PhD in thermal sciences, patents in alternative energy, and leadership roles at General Motors and Rochester Institute of Technology, his work has always been driven by a single principle: innovation improves lives — and deserves to be protected.
When he was invited into the world of expert witness consulting, he saw the perfect intersection of engineering and impact. It wasn’t just about interpreting technical systems — it was about ensuring that the right ideas get a fair hearing. That complex mechanisms don’t get lost in legal fog. That truth, backed by science, still has a voice.
Today, he works as a trusted expert witness — bringing mechanical precision, scientific integrity, and courtroom composure to high-stakes patent and product litigation.
With deep expertise in fluid dynamics, heat transfer, combustion engines, fuel cell systems, and forensic failure analysis, Dr. Lee offers more than expert reports — he brings clarity to complexity, and strategy to the stand.
Whether supporting litigation teams, advising on product design, or uncovering root causes in failure analysis, Dr. Lee’s commitment is the same: to protect meaningful innovation, and to help the ideas that improve lives stand on solid legal ground.
Innovation improves our lives — makes us safer, more productive, more fulfilled. But bringing a new idea into the world isn’t easy. It takes time, resources, risk, and persistence. That’s why protection matters.
Patents aren’t just paperwork. They’re the legal backbone that gives inventors the confidence to invest, refine, and push forward — even against the odds.
My work exists at the intersection of engineering and justice. I translate complex technical systems into clear, defensible analysis that both defendant or plaintiff legal teams can trust — and courts can rely on.
I don’t just show up with expertise. I bring precision, clarity, and the calm to hold steady under pressure.
Progress depends on protecting the ideas that move us forward.
Need Expert Insight for Your Case?
Grounded in truth and backed by decades of experience, my insights are built to stand up — in court and beyond. Let’s talk about how I can support your team.