Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP announces the arrival of partner James W. Harkness to the firm’s Chicago and Lisle offices.

Harkness focuses his practice on commercial litigation, manufacturing disputes, partnership and membership disputes, class action defense, intellectual property litigation, and real estate litigation. Formerly he was a partner at Momkus LLC in Lisle.

Harkness is a certified arbitrator in DuPage County. He is active in the DuPage County Bar Association, where is a director on the Board of Directors and chair of the Business Law Committee, and the Illinois State Bar Association, where he is section council for both Commercial Banking, Collections & Bankruptcy Law and Civil Practice and Procedure. He previously was an active, invited member of the American Inns of Courts, DuPage Chapter.

Harkness received his J.D. in 1996 from the Valparaiso University School of Law and his B.A. in 1993 from Valparaiso University.