Personal Injury, Commercial & Chancery and Regulatory & Public

Call 2005

North Eastern CircuitPersonal Injury Bar AssociationYorkshire RFU Disciplinary Panel

Personal Injury

James is an experienced personal injury practitioner. He is available for high value Fast Track and Multi-Track claims. His experience includes serious injuries arising from road traffic accidents, pubic liability and accidents at work; the latter overlaps with James’ Health and Safety and Coronial practise.

James also has extensive experience in all aspects of fraudulent cases including fundamental dishonesty and s57 of Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015. He regularly acts for all the major solicitors and insurers in this sector.

James regularly delivers talks and provides training on all aspects of personal injury litigation.

Commercial & Chancery

James approaches all cases in a pragmatic and objective manner. He is able to provide realistic and commercially sound advice at all stages of a case. James appears regularly in Multi-Track and High Court cases.

For those cases which are not compromised, James is a robust and very well prepared advocate for whom no detail is too small. He prides himself on well planned and well executed cross examinations.

James’ focus is on breaches of commercial contracts. His keen commercial awareness makes him well-placed to advise and act on all aspects of potential breaches/causes of action. He provides pragmatic advice and will assist clients in pitching well-placed Part 36 offers as well as attending settlement meetings. If matters should go to trial, he is always diligently prepared and is robust and forensic in his cross-examination.

James has great experience dealing with Unincorporated Associations. The issues in these cases often go outside of simple legal and factual disputes and James is well placed to advise on the use of ADR and attend in those instances. Pleadings need to be done carefully and James is happy to assist at any stage.

James frequently advises insurers in relation to all aspects of their contractual and non-contractual obligations, including breaches of the contracts of insurance, avoidance of indemnity and other obligations arising out of indemnity insurance; such as those under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Article 75 of the Memorandum of Understanding.

James also has experience acting for large landowners in relation to claims for trespass and nuisance, including claims against neighbouring land which has built new properties in breach of easements and defending claims for nuisance for failure to properly maintain rights of way.

Regulatory & Public

James accepts instructions in cases arising out of serious or fatal injuries in the workplace. He is able to provide advice at an early stage and deal with all areas of court proceedings thereafter.

James routinely acts for insurance companies in personal injury and HSE prosecutions and is well placed to advise defendant companies and insurers at the first sign of HSE involvement or civil claims.

James also regularly attends coroner’s inquests and is available to act in other regulatory cases, with special interests in Health and Safety and Environmental / Waste Management prosecutions an area in which James is assisted by his Bsc (Hons) in Geo-chemistry.

James’ main focus is on police discipline. He regularly acts for the Appropriate Authority in such cases and has also acted as  legal advisor to the Chief Constable in appropriate cases.

James can also act in all other professional disciplinary tribunals including but not limited to:

Doctors Nurses and Midwifery Accountants Solicitors Teachers Fire Fighters

James is also available to assist clients in the following areas:

Care Quality Commission Firearms; appeals and prosecutions Food Safety / Hygiene Licensing Hackney Carriage Licensing Premise Local Authority / District Council Prosecutions Sporting disciplinary (especially rugby union) Trading Standards

2002University of Leeds, BSc (Hons)

2003College of Law, York, PgDL

2005University of Northumbria, BVC (Very Competent)