Role
Leading the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, helping clients to prevent disputes and escalation and providing reassurance and resource when cases do reach court. James is personally a specialist in property, commercial and contentious insolvency litigation

Mission
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Approach
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Experience includes

• Lexi Holdings Plc –v- Garth Scott Stainforth [2006] – construction of a contract to discharge earlier short term loan agreement.  Opponent’s application for permission to appeal refused by Appeal Committee of the House of Lords attended by Lord Hoffman, Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe and Lord Mance on 8 November 2006
• Adagio Properties Limited –v- Ansari [1998] – dealing with landlord’s appeal against decision of validity of a notice served under Section 146 of the Law of Property Act 1925
• Secretary of State for Trade and Industry –v- (1) Richard Richardson (2) Ayomane Oladele Odimayo sub nom Re Sykes (Butchers) Limited (1997).  The second Respondent only in the court of first instance
• Hindcastle Limited –v- Barbara Attenborough Associates Limited & Others [1996] – House of Lords’ decision on the liability of a guarantor of a tenant who has become insolvent.
• In Re Saunders (A Bankrupt): In Re Bearman (A Bankrupt) [1996] – Court giving leave to commence proceedings against a bankrupt notwithstanding the fact that proceedings had already been commenced
• Roburn Construction Limited –v- William Irwin (South) & Co Limited [1991] – Security for costs.  Discretionary amount ordered to be paid in place of nominal security ordered in Court below

Clients include

• Claimants and Defendants in proceedings initiated by injunctions including passing off and freezing orders
• Directors defending claims instigated under the provisions of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
• The Secretary of State, assisting with preparation of disqualification proceedings 
• Liquidators pursuing claims against former directors, securing judgment, resulting in financial returns to the benefit of the company
• Clients concerning allegations of professional negligence.
  

Time with firm
James has practised in litigation for over 20 years; joined William Sturges in July 2000 following the merger with Chethams and became a partner in 2004

Other activities
Member of the Property Litigation Association and a Freeman of the City of London
James is married to Rosie, a consulting editor for the Personal Injury Law Journal and the author of the CPD programs to be found in the In House Lawyer and Practical Lawyer Journal.  They have two young children and live in Surrey.