Guildhall Chambers

Real Property, Agriculture, Trusts & Estates, Commercial & Residential Landlord & Tenant, Highways, Commons, Environment & Planning, Commercial Dispute Resolution

James specialises in all areas of real property and landlord and tenant. He enjoys a busy court and advisory practice and regularly appears in the High Court, County Court, Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber), and First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). He has a particular interest in agricultural matters and has been ranked as the sole ‘Rising Star’ in Agriculture in the 2025 Legal 500. James is also ranked in the 2025 Legal 500 as a ‘Rising Star’ in Chancery, probate and tax.

James has litigation and advisory experience in most areas of Real Property, including:

Adverse possession (registered and unregistered land); Easements and profits; Restrictive covenants; Land registration; Alteration and rectification of the Register; Boundaries and encroachments; Examination of title documents, deeds and plans; Proprietary estoppel; Trusts of land; Mortgages and charges; Mines and minerals; Manorial rights; Foreshore rights; Trespass, nuisance and other property torts.

James is a member of the Agricultural Law Association and has been ranked as the sole ‘Rising Star’ in Agriculture in the 2025 Legal 500. James regularly advises on a wide range of agricultural disputes:

Tenancies governed by the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986; Farm Business Tenancies under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995; Protected agricultural occupiers under the Housing Act 1988; Leases under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954; Contract farming agreements; Grazing agreements; Common law tenancies; Sale and purchase of farms and landed estates; Structuring rural property transactions; Proprietary estoppel cases; Partnerships; Covenants; Easements and profits; Mines, minerals, and manorial rights; Public rights of way; Renewables; Statutory nuisance; Overage agreements, option agreements, and joint venture agreements.

James acts in a broad range of private client Trusts & Estates matters:

Contentious and non-contentious probate; Interpretation of wills and trust documents; Applications for a declaration of presumed death under the Presumption of Death Act 2013; Cohabitation disputes and trusts of land; Proprietary estoppel; Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975; Appointment, removal and substitution of personal representatives and trustees; Duties and powers of personal representatives and trustees; Settled Land Act 1925.

James advises on all areas of commercial and residential landlord and tenant disputes, including:

Possession proceedings; Forfeiture proceedings; Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 renewals (opposed and unopposed); Service charge disputes; Unlawful eviction; Disrepair; Dilapidations; Trespass; Breach of covenant; Tenancy deposit claims; Mobile Homes Act 1983.

James acts on matters involving public rights of way, commons, town & village greens, environment, and planning related matters, including:

Commons; Town and Village Greens; Public rights of way; Highways; Definitive Map Modification Orders; Rural planning matters; Listed Buildings; Trees; Minerals; Planning applications and objections; Section 106 Agreements and CIL; Development agreements (overage agreements, promotion agreements and option agreements); Statutory nuisance.

James has experience in a broad range of commercial disputes including:

Breach of contract (including disputes arising from domestic building works and engineering projects); Misrepresentation; Misstatement; Estoppel; Guarantees; Sale of goods and supply of services; Agency; Professional negligence; Debt claims and asset recovery; Mortgages; Banking; Partnership disputes; Construction and rectification; Consumer credit.

James also welcomes instructions to represent clients at adjudications, arbitrations, and mediations.

Agricultural Law Association Chancery Bar Association Property Bar Association The Contentious Trusts Association

M.St. in History, The University of Cambridge PgDip in International Legal Practice (Distinction), The University of Law LLM. in Commercial Law (Distinction), The University of Bristol LLB. (Hons) in Law, The University of Surrey