Jim Tanner's legal practice focuses on sports and entertainment law and complex employment negotiations.  Mr. Tanner has been listed several times in Washingtonian magazine's list of "Top Lawyers" for media and sports law and has been selected by Sports Illustrated as one of the "101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports."

Mr. Tanner represents a number of professional athletes, including Jeremy Lin, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Luke Walton, John Henson, Marvin Williams and Tamika Catchings, in a range of legal and business matters, from player contract negotiations to advertising and marketing contracts.  He is certified as an agent by the National Basketball Players Association and the Women's National Basketball Players Association.

Mr. Tanner also represents a number of corporate executives and professional and college coaches in employment contract negotiations.

Mr. Tanner's practice includes transactional, real estate, and securities law as well, and he has advised and represented high net worth individuals in the acquisition, operation, and sale of businesses and commercial real estate.  

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Mr. Tanner grew up in neighboring High Point, and was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina, where he graduated in 1990.  He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago.  Before joining Williams & Connolly LLP, Mr. Tanner worked as an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and general corporate law.  Mr. Tanner was also a board member and general counsel to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for National Policy, a non-profit, non-partisan group that connects national leaders with progressive policy options.  During the 1996 Clinton/Gore presidential campaign, he was the Midwest Briefing Book Coordinator.  Mr. Tanner joined Williams & Connolly in 1997 and is a former member of the firm's Hiring Committee.