James Weale KC

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James Weale KC has a very busy commercial chancery practice with a focus on domestic and international commercial and trusts disputes.

He is recognised as a leading practitioner in those fields in Chambers & Partners, Legal 500, Chambers Global, Chambers High Net Worth, and Who’s Who Legal where he is described as a “brilliant lawyer” and a “Superstar”. He was Chambers & Partners’ Chancery Junior of the Year in 2023.

He regularly appears (both as sole and junior counsel) in the English High Court and has appeared several times in the Court of Appeal. He also has considerable experience in overseas jurisdictions (including as sole counsel) including Bermuda, the DIFC, the BVI, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and Panama.

Areas of Expertise

Commercial Litigation

James Weale KC has experience across a wide range of commercial litigation.

Recent Cases

LLC Eurochem North-West-2 v (1) Societe Generale S.A. (2) Societe Generale Paris (3) Societe Generale Milano (4) ING Bank N.V. (5) ING Bank N.V. – Milan Branch (6) Tecnimont S.P.A. (7) LLC MT Russia (ongoing) [2025] EWHC 1938 (Comm); [2024] 1 WLR 4705 – Instructed by Clifford Chance LLP. James acted (with Neil Kitchener) KC for the successful ING Bank defendants in a substantial claim for payment under performance bonds (one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2025). This is one of the most significant cases on sanctions in recent years.
IBM United Kingdom v LzLabs GmbH & Ord (ongoing) [2026] FSR 4; [2025] EWHC 532 (TCC); [2023] EWHC 2142 (TCC); [2023] EWHC 1595 (TCC); [2023] EWHC 1183 (TCC) – Instructed by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP (UK). James acted (with Nicholas Saunders KC, Matthew Lavy KC and Fred Hobson KC) for the successful claimant in a substantial claim based on (among other matters) the alleged reverse engineering of IBM Mainframe software in breach of contract. The three-month trial was one of The Lawyer’s Top 20 cases of 2024.
Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company and ors (Case No. 44 of 2018) (ongoing). Instructed by MJM Ltd (Bermuda), Baker McKenzie (Taipei) and Stewarts (UK) – James acts with Richard Wilson KC in one of the highest-value trust cases to have been litigated in any jurisdiction. The claimants sought to set aside multi-billion dollar purpose trusts on various grounds. A 6-month trial took place between April and October 2022. The judgment ([2022] SC (Bda) 44 Com (22 June 2022) was the subject of an appeal in the Bermuda Court of Appeal which was heard over 10 days in January 2025.
Navigator Equities Ltd v Deripaska [2024] BCC 526 [2022] 1 W.L.R. 3656; [2022] 2 All E.R. 995, Times, February 7, 2021, Times, April 1, 2022, [2023] EWHC 788 (Comm) – James acted (with Jonathan Crow KC) for the claimants in committal proceedings against Oleg Deripaska. The case was the subject of two appeals to the Court of Appeal, which gave important guidance on the conduct of committal applications.
Gurtata v Gurtata [2025]: 12 WLUK 438 – James acted (with Matthew Innes) for the successful defendants in a substantial claim based on alleged undue influence which was the subject of a three-week trial in October 2024. James subsequently obtained a “put up or shut up” order against third parties which raised a novel jurisdictional issue.
Klaturov and Anor v Revetas Capital Advisors LLP and Anor [2024] EWHC 495 (Comm); [2023] EWHC 470 (Comm) – Instructed by Willkie Farr & Gallagher (UK). James acted for the Claimants in a substantial partnership claim for unpaid remuneration, a buyout payment and a profit share, which was the subject of a trial in the High Court in December 2023.

Trusts & Probate

Recent Cases

Wong v Grand View Private Trust Company & Ors (Case No. 44 of 2018) (ongoing) – Instructed by MJM Ltd (Bermuda), Baker McKenzie (Taipei) and Stewarts (UK). James acts with Richard Wilson KC in one of the highest-value trust cases to have been litigated in any jurisdiction. The claimants sought to set aside multi-billion dollar purpose trusts on various grounds. A 6-month trial took place between April and October 2022. The trial judgment ([2022] SC (Bda) 44 Com (22 June 2022) is now the subject of an appeal to the Bermuda Court of Appeal, which was heard over 10 days in January 2025.
Hamersmith-Stewart v Cromwell Trust Company Ltd & Ors (ongoing) – Instructed by Graham Thompson (Bahamas) and Macfarlanes (UK). James acts with Richard Wilson KC for one of the defendants in substantial trust litigation in several jurisdictions. The principal litigation (a trustee removal claim) has been listed for a 3.5-week trial in The Supreme Court of The Bahamas in June 2026.
Trident Trust Company (Singapore) Pte v Union of India, Nirav Modi & Ors – Instructed by Withers. James acts for the trustee of a trust (with assets worth c.£30 million) which is alleged (by the Indian Enforcement Directorate) to represent the proceeds of fraud. There are two substantive claims to the ownership of trust assets.
Grand View Private Trust Co Ltd v Wong [2022] UKPC 47, [2023] WTLR 149, 25 ITELR 630 – Instructed by MJM Ltd (Bermuda), Baker McKenzie (Taipei) and Stewarts (UK). James acted for one of the successful appellants in a conjoined appeal before the Privy Council. The decision gave important guidance on the proper purpose rule.
Gurtata v Gurtata – Instructed by Weightmans. James acted (leading Matthew Innes) for the successful defendants in a claim to set aside a will and various inter vivos transactions relating to substantial assets on the basis of undue influence. The case was the subject of a 3-week trial before HHJ Monty KC with judgment handed down in March 2025.
AB v B [2025] EWHC 1891 (Fam) – Instructed by Payne Hicks Beach. James acts for the administrator in a substantial claim under the 1975 Act. James acted for the successful applicant in an unusual application to obtain non-party disclosure against a company involving sensitive commercial information.
SwissIndepenent Trustees SA v Sofer [2024] EWHC 1543 (Ch) – James acted (with Richard Wilson KC) for the trustee in relation to long-running litigation by a beneficiary. Following a strike out application ([2020] WTLR 1075) the case settled, and the winding up the trust was later the subject of a blessing application.

Matrimonial Finance: Trusts & Company Law

James is regularly instructed in high-value and complex matrimonial litigation involving companies and trust structures.

Recent Cases

Ahmad v Faraj [2025] EWCA Civ 468; [2025] 2 FLR 915 – Instructed by Level. James acts for the husband in complex proceedings involving a Bahraini bank. The case was the subject of a 2-week trial before Sir Jonathan Cohen and is now the subject of an appeal listed for 2 days in April 2025. The case also gave rise to an important CA judgment on Hadkinson orders.
SM v BA [2026] EWFC 9 – Instructed by Wedlake Bell. James acts for the intervenor in matrimonial proceedings involving a prominent family. It is alleged by W that a London property is held by the intervenor on constructive trust for W. The case was the subject of a High Court trial in February 2026.
X v Y – Instructed by Melius law. James acted for the trustee in high value proceedings involving a celebrity. The case was the subject of a trial in 2025.
AB v B [2025] EWHC 1891 (Fam) – Instructed by Payne Hicks Beach. James acts for the administrator of a substantial estate in respect of a claim brought by a widow under the 1975 Act. The case involved a novel application for non-party disclosure against a company involving sensitive commercial information.

UAE & DIFC Litigation

James has held a DIFC Part II Practicing Certificate since 2016 and is a contributor to DIFC Courts Practice. He has extensive experience of DIFC litigation and has appeared before the CFI and Court of Appeal.