James specialises in commercial property litigation.
His experience includes in particular advising on dilapidations; rights to light claims; service charges; contractual and development disputes; contested rating appeals; restrictive covenants and easements; contested lease renewals; telecoms code disputes; rent reviews; nuisance claims; possession claims; party wall disputes; insolvency disputes and boundary disputes.
James advises a broad range of clients including both landlords & tenants with mainly national property portfolios. He advises a variety of clients including public sector companies, national retailers, developers, investors and charities on contentious commercial property matters.
James' role also includes being client partner for a major national infrastructure company and also a substantial gaming company as well as leading on property litigation matters for a number of other key clients.
He has published a number of articles and regularly lectures to clients and property professionals on a wide variety of property litigation topics. He is a member of the Property Litigation Association and the BCSC.
James continues to be recognised as a Band 1 leader in the field in Chambers & Partners UK Directory.
Experience
Examples of experience include advising:
- Major Infrastructure Company - a disputed application for consent to convert an office block to redevelop into a £60m hotel in central London above major rail infrastructure
- Major PLC - a number of complex rights to light claims both in central London and in the regions
- Major Infrastructure Company A dispute concerning an easement of pipelines to a major oil refinery
- Major PLC – on failure of its Head tenant to comply with covenants to keep fully let our client's prime central London Property
- Telecoms Infrastructure Company - a rating appeal concerning major communications infrastructure.
- Multi-national Private Company - advising them on management issues in relation to a number of its UK prime properties
"He is a very good communicator who makes tricky legal problems understandable."
“James enjoys a rising profile as a ‘top-level, commercially minded lawyer’ and ‘continues to impress sources with his work for private and public sector clients."