Year of Call: 2006
“James is outstanding: very bright and thorough, a tenacious advocate and great to work with.”
“Fearless and stands up to the judge.”
“A real star in civil fraud. Knows the area like few others.”
A “super-smart junior” who “spans the commercial and chancery bar brilliantly”, James is renowned for his expertise across the areas of civil fraud and asset recovery, company and partnership disputes, and insolvency. He is described in the directories as “absolutely phenomenally intelligent”; “an awesome forensic attacker”; and “brilliant in court”, with an ability “to take on the most sophisticated players in the sector” and “see points that others miss”.
His cases include several of the most substantial and high-profile international disputes of recent years, including:
- Premier League v Manchester City Football Club (the ‘sport trial of the century’, concerning alleged breaches of financial fair play regulations);
- PIFFS v Al Rajaan (US$1 billion bribery and asset tracing claim – one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20’ cases of 2025);
- The Eclipse litigation (£1+ billion group action arising out of failed film scheme – one of The Lawyer’s ‘Top 20’ cases of 2024);
- State Bank of India v Mallya (heavily contested bankruptcy petition based on debt in excess of US$1 billion with overlapping Indian criminal and civil proceedings);
- Invest Bank v El Husseini (multi-million pound s423 claim brought by UAE bank against Lebanese businessman and members of his family);
- State of Qatar v Banque Havilland (US$1+ billion claim brought by State of Qatar alleging conspiracy to manipulate its currency).
He is frequently instructed against silks, including in the Court of Appeal, where in recent years he has acted for the successful parties in each of Re Coinomi (overlap between s 994 petition and derivative action in context of cryptocurrency business); Malik v Hussain (effect of time limit for exchange of contracts); and Ward v Savill (whether declaratory judgment binding in subsequent tracing claim concerning fraudulent film scheme). In addition to his trial experience, James has extensive experience of interim injunctions, issues arising from international litigation (including cross-border insolvency) and overlapping civil and criminal proceedings (including in multiple jurisdictions).
James has deep experience of corporate and joint venture disputes extending to issues concerning private equity and hedge fund structures, shareholders of English and offshore companies, and members and partners of LLPs and limited and traditional partnerships. In one recent case he acted for a billionaire tech entrepreneur in an LCIA arbitration concerning a Cayman fund structure and a Delaware company. In another recent case he acted for a co-founder of a private equity firm involving an English LLP and related offshore LP structure, in arbitration proceedings also involving injunctive proceedings in the Commercial Court.
James has consistently been recognised as a leading junior for many years across all the main legal directories. He won Insolvency Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards. He was formerly a member of the Serious Fraud Office’s panel of counsel for recovery of the proceeds of crime and standing junior counsel to the Department of Business in directors’ disqualification proceedings.
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge - MA in History (Double First)
Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (John F Kennedy Scholar)
City University, London - Postgraduate Diploma in Law (Distinction)
Inns of Court School of Law - Bar Vocational Course (Outstanding)
Serious Fraud Office Proceeds of Crime (B Panel) (2017)
Junior Counsel to the Crown (C Panel) (2011-16)
Junior Counsel to the Department of Business for Directors’ Disqualification hearings (2010-11)
Counsulting Editorial Board, LexisPSL Corporate
Contributing Editor, Butterworths Corporate Law Service
James appears on the BSB register as James David Mather
921736723
The Legal 500
Junior of the Year