James Rathvon

James Rathvon

Principal, Paley Rothman
  • Business Law, Appeals & Appellate, Environmental Law
  • District of Columbia, Maryland
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Biography

Jim Rathvon, chair of the firm’s Regulatory Law & Litigation practice group, maintains a broad environmental, chemical, food and drug and consumer product regulatory and litigation practice. He focuses on the regulation of pesticides and other chemical products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and other complex federal regulatory programs. His environmental law work ranges from counseling and advocating on regulatory and licensing issues to defending clients in government enforcement proceedings to representing them in federal arbitrations arising under FIFRA and handling federal and state court litigation involving product liability, false advertising, environmental remediation, federal preemption and other matters pertaining to pesticides and other regulated products.
Among Jim’s noteworthy legal activities was his representation of clients in two of the largest FIFRA enforcement actions ever brought by U.S. EPA’s Region IV in Atlanta, Ga. He has also served as counsel or co-counsel in approximately half of all FIFRA data compensation arbitration cases in which a publicly available award or significant pre-trial decision has been issued to date, making him perhaps the most experienced FIFRA data compensation attorney in the country.
Another specialty area of Jim’s practice involves the regulation of food and food additives, drugs and medical devices subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He provides regulatory and business counsel to food, drug and medical device companies and has represented manufacturers in a variety of matters before the FDA.
Jim also maintains an active appellate practice and has participated in numerous court challenges of federal agency actions under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Education
The George Washington University Law School
J.D. (1982)
Honors: Magna Cum Laude
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State University of New York - Stony Brook
M.A. (1978) | Ecology and Evolution)
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University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
M.Ed (1974) | Science Education
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Tufts University
B.S. (1973) | Biology
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Professional Experience
Principal
Paley Rothman
Current
Professional Associations
Maryland State Bar
Member
Current
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DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice
Board of Directors (2007-2012)
Current
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SchoolTalk, Inc.
Board of Directors (2005-2012)
Current
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District of Columbia Bar
Member
- Current
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The Greenbelt Movement International,
Liaison Partner
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New Perimeter/Climate Change
Project Team Leader
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DC Superior Court
Guardian Ad Litem
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
District of Columbia
District of Columbia Bar
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Maryland
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Practice Areas
Business Law
Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
Appeals & Appellate
Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals
Environmental Law
Additional Practice Areas
  • Regulatory Law & Litigation
  • Litigation: Business
  • Government Relations
Languages
  • English: Spoken, Written
Websites & Blogs
Website
Paley Rothman
Contact & Map
Paley Rothman
4800 Hampden Lane
6th Floor
Bethesda, MD 20814
Telephone: (301) 656-7603
Fax: (301) 654-7354