Expertise
James is a specialist in resolving complex corporate and commercial disputes, with a particular specialism in disputes relating to technology, communications and data. Clients include major UK and international organisations.
James' experience over 20+ years includes helping clients resolve disputes relating to digital transformation and digital infrastructure, including ICT procurement, outsourcing/managed services, licensing, network modernisation/expansion, connected products regulatory, supply chain, joint ventures, data centre/system outages, Cyber security incidents, data privacy litigation and other data-related disputes. These cover a range of technologies, including 5G, IoT and AI. James has in-house counsel experience through secondment at a telematics plc.
As well as leading hard-fought, complex litigation and ADR, James harnesses legal, technical and sector knowledge to enable clients to remain agile when or before disputes occur, managing risk, protecting and building positions, and cutting through complexity to find the best practical solution. He also helps clients reduce risk day-to-day and avoid disputes altogether through workshops and training sessions.
- Experience
James' recent experience includes:
- Acting for a leading global retailer and technology company with its commercial disputes and data privacy litigation.
- Acting for US head-quartered global IT services leader in its high-value, multi-faceted, multi-party ICT outsourcing disputes, commercial disputes, injunctive relief, and cyber/data security breaches.
- Acting for a French head-quartered emergency communications provider in disputes in the UK and Ireland relating to the design and implementation of its systems.
- Acting for a global communications provider regarding a delayed new control and communications system for an underground transport system.
- Acting for a global trade association regarding a ransomware attack against an international software developer which impacted hundreds of airlines worldwide, including incident response and claims against the supplier.
- Securing urgent injunctive relief for a leading University after an unauthorised third party obtained access to sensitive and confidential data from the University's systems.
- Advising a Swedish head-quartered international enterprise software company regarding a multi-million pound claim brought by a large UK retailer.
- Advising a global bank in a dispute with a software developer over the alleged wrongful termination and repudiatory breach of a contract for the development of a bespoke software application.
- Successfully defending a University in a £110m TCC claim brought against it by a commercial organisation and patent holder, alleging breach of contract and fraud regarding complex scientific research undertaken and published by the University.
- Acting for an international infrastructure operator in a multi-faceted dispute against a Spanish information technology company arising from the development and deployment of a new road-tolling system and associated back-office managed services.
- Defending a US head-quartered global payments provider in claims arising from a Cyber security breach impacting employees based in the UK and Northern Ireland.
- Acting for a global fund manager in a dispute with a US head-quartered technology provider, which arose because of a significantly delayed and defective new financial products system.
- Defending a US based global provider of laboratory systems against a multi-milion pound claim brought by a UK customer related to alleged defects.
- Acting for UK and global organisations in a range of sectors to defend them in data privacy litigation and data-related disputes.
- Education
- University of Leeds, MEng Civil Engineering (1999)
- Nottingham Law School (PgDL 2001, LPC 2002)
- Recognition
- Recognised in both IT/Telecoms and Litigation categories of Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. Recognised by Business Today as a Top 10 influential lawyer in tech
- Professional Memberships
- Member of the Society of Computers and Law
