One Essex Court

James has a diverse commercial practice across Chambers’ full range of specialisms, with a particular focus on civil fraud, commodities, trade finance and other banking disputes. He has appeared in the High Court, most commonly the Commercial Court and the Chancery Division, as well as in the Court of Appeal and arbitral proceedings under a variety of rules (including LCIA, SIAC, UNCITRAL and LMAA).

James has significant experience in high value, complex commercial disputes, with recent cases including Vik v Deutsche Bank AG, Alfa-Bank v Kipford Ventures Limited, and various confidential arbitrations. He also regularly acts as sole counsel, both against other juniors and against opponents in silk.

James is frequently instructed in interim applications, which are often urgent, including for freezing injunctions, disclosure orders, debarring orders and orders in support of arbitral proceedings. He is especially familiar with making and resisting such applications against the background of allegations of fraud, having spent six months on secondment at a civil fraud litigation boutique in his first year of practice.

Called to the UK Bar in 2018

Admitted to the Bar of the East Caribbean Supreme Court, British Virgin Islands in 2023.

City Law School: BPTC, Very Competent (2018)

City University, London: GDL, Distinction (2017)

University of Oxford, Keble College: MSt English Literature (1550-1700) (2016)

University of Oxford, Keble College: BA English Language and Literature, First Class (2015)