Oriel Chambers

Civil.

James is an extremely busy civil practitioner who has always relished the challenge of difficult and contentious trial work.

He specialises in representing Defendants in personal injury, employer’s liability and public liability work. In particular he is an extremely effective advocate in claims where the Defendant alleges fraud. At the time of writing in November 2019 James had already secured 16 findings  of Fundamental Dishonesty at trial during the year. There are few advocates with an equivalent success rate in this type of case. His style was recently described by a County Court Judge in one of these cases as “polite but devastating”.

James has had frequent involvement with cases involving social media, telematics and surveillance evidence. He has dealt with a number of cases involving fraud rings with very large volumes of material.

James has extensive experience in cases of significant value and significance including matters being taken to the Court of Appeal. He is very well-versed in dealing with technical costs matters such as those arising in Cost Case Management Conferences. He has a very wide experience in dealing with medical experts and is known for concise and well-drafted Part 35 questions of a technical nature. Whilst James has always enjoyed the practicalities of cross-examining witnesses in difficult and complex cases in Court.

James is a common law practitioner although his work predominantly relates to personal injury litigation. His particular areas of interest and expertise include: defending suspected fraudulent claims; the Motor Insurance Bureau; employer’s liability; accidents involving cyclist or motorcyclists; defending claims issued by a number of high-volume road traffic solicitors in the Birkenhead and Liverpool County Courts; fatal accidents.

His strong academic credentials are complemented by particularly robust advocacy.

Called 1995.

Personal Injury Bar Association.

Oxford University (Open Scholarship).

Double First and scholarship from Oxford University, And a major scholarship from Gray’s Inn.

Lord Justice Holker Scholarship; Karmel Scholarship.

James is happily married with three children and a splendid Vizsla. He is, periodically, a keen endurance athlete. He has completed four Ironman triathlons, cycled from London to Newcastle in a day, completed the Devizes to Westminster canoe race and run numerous marathons and ultramarathons around the world.  He is also a semi-obsessive follower of his favourite band, The Mountain Goats.

Periodically, an enthusiastic endurance athlete.