Queen Elizabeth Building (QEB)

James specialises in all complex matrimonial finance issues, including pre-nuptial contracts. In the recent past, he has acted in a wide range of domestic and international cases at all levels including multi-million-pound cases. James has considerable experience of cases involving complex corporate and family asset structures, internationally held assets, significant inherited wealth, as well as bankruptcy related issues. He also has experience of international forum shopping and enforcement issues, and has appeared as an expert witness in the USA. He also undertakes private law children work.

James has acted in a wide range of complex and big money cases, both reported and not. He appears frequently at the RCJ and PRFD, has taken cases to the Court of Appeal, and has represented clients in courts around the country, as well as at private FDRs, round-table meetings and in arbitrations.

He has previously been described in Chambers and Partners as an ‘a superb advocate’ who is ‘thorough, careful and efficient’. He has been described as  ‘equally charming as an advocate and opponent’ whose ‘first-rate advocacy is received well in court’. Peers are impressed by James’ ability to master complex information and make incisive judgements. Most recently it has been said of James that ‘he can identify the magic number for a settlement at lightning speed’. He has also been praised for ‘his extraordinary intelligence combined with a down-to-earth nature’ ensuring that clients feel very safe in his hands.

Having been in practice for 19 years, during which he has led junior counsel in large cases and has frequently represented clients against Leading Counsel, James was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2016.

Reported cases include the following:  OS v DS [2005] 1 FLR 675; Sorrell [2006] 1 FLR 497; Charman (Letter of Request) [2006] 1 WLR 1053 CA; Charman (No. 1) [2006] 2FLR 422 CA; Charman (No.2) [2007] 1FLR 593; Charman (No.3) [2007] 1FLR 1237 CA; Charman (No. 4) [2007] 1FLR 1243 CA; Myerson [2009] 1FLR 826 CA and Myerson (No.2) [2009] 2FLR 147 CA; Arif v Anwar [2012] EWCA Civ 986 and [2013] EWHC 624 (Fam); Wright: [2015] EWFC B17; and [2015] EWCA Civ 201; and SS v NS: [2014] EWHC 4183 (Fam).

Qualified 1996; Middle Temple. Appointed to the C Panel of Treasury Counsel in 2001 and has represented the Queen’s Proctor in several family cases.

French.

Family Law Bar Association.

New College, Oxford (Jurisprudence, specialising in family law); awarded the Astbury Scholarship by The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, 1995.

Married, with four children; a keen sailor, skier and tennis player, with a couple of marathons under his belt; committed Christian with a personal interest and involvement in modern anti-slavery and human trafficking campaigns, having worked with bonded labourers in India for International Justice Mission during a sabbatical in 2009-11. He was a specialist advisor to the Joint Select Committee on the Modern Slavery Bill (2014) and was commissioned by the Government to write a report on Overseas Domestic Workers in 2015. James received a British Citizen Award in 2016 for his anti-slavery work.