One Essex Court

James Fox undertakes a broad range of commercial work in line with Chambers’ practice areas. James has been engaged in a number of market leading civil fraud cases, with claims for in excess of £1 billion. These include the 93-day trial in the Autonomy litigation, which the Judge noted “may rank amongst the longest and most complex in English legal history” and resulted in a 1200 page judgment which “may well be unparalleled”.

Qualified 2015: Lincoln’s Inn

Recent instructions include:

Autonomy v Lynch and Hussain [2022] EWHC 1178 (Ch) Acting (with Laurence Rabinowitz KC, Patrick Goodall KC, Conall Patton KC and others) for Autonomy and others in fraud claims worth $5 billion in relation to the acquisition of Autonomy by the HP group. The case featured in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases” for 2019. A 93-day trial concluded in January 2020, which Hildyard J noted “may rank amongst the longest and most complex in English legal history”. The 1200 page (excluding schedules and appendices) judgment on liability “may well be unparalleled”. Quantum to be determined in a later judgment.

SKAT v Solo Capital Partners LLP (in administration) and Ors (Comm) Acted (led variously by Laurence Rabinowitz KC, Michael Fealy KC, Jamie Goldsmith KC and others) for the Danish Tax and Customs Administration in a claim relating to an alleged conspiracy involving fraudulent withholding tax reclaim applications in the sum of DKK 12 billion (approximately £1.5 billion). The case featured in The Lawyer’s “Top 20 Cases” for 2021. The case has been described by Foxton J as “one of the largest and most complex pieces of litigation to be heard in the Commercial Court”

Kallakis v AIB [2023] EWHC 2148 (Comm) Acting (with Neil Kitchener KC and Sandy Phipps) for the defendant bank in claims exceeding £300 million relating to the alleged fraudulent undervalue sale of a portfolio of mortgaged properties. The causes of action alleged included sale at undervalue, sale without authority, misrepresentation and unjust enrichment.

FM Capital Partners v Marino and Ors [2018] EWHC 1768 (Comm); [2018] EWHC 2905 (Comm); [2018] EWHC 2612 (Comm); [2018] EWHC 2889 (Comm) Acted (with Laurence Emmett) for the third defendant in a claim for dishonest assistance, conspiracy, knowing receipt and bribery in relation to structured products.

City Law School: BPTC (Outstanding) [2014-2015] Harvard Law School: LL.M [2013-2014] University of Oxford: BA (Jurisprudence, with senior status) (First Class Honours) [2011-2013] University of Oxford: BA (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) (First Class Honours) [2008-2011]