James is a Senior Associate in the firm's London tax team.
James advises on a broad range of taxation and tax-planning matters, including cross-border arrangements. He has extensive experience in M&A transactions, corporate structuring & group reorganisations, real estate taxation and debt financing. James’ practice extends beyond tax advisory and transactional work into tax litigation.
Background
James holds an undergraduate degree in Law and a master's in International Commercial Law, both from the University of Birmingham. In addition to being a solicitor, James is qualified as a Chartered Tax Adviser with the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
Experience & expertise
Selected matters
- Inchcape, the world's largest independent automotive distributor, in relation to various matters, including its £1.3 billion cash and shares business combination with Derco, the largest independent automotive distributor in Latin America
- The Ardonagh Group on several matters, including (i) on the acquisition of the insurance operations of BGC Partners, Inc. for US$500 million; and (ii) on the proposed merger between Markerstudy Group and Atlanta Group, Ardonagh's personal lines insurance broking business, funded by new investment led by Pollen Street Capital and Bain Capital Special Situations and valuing Atlanta at £1.2 billion
- Comcast on a joint venture between its subsidiary NBCUniversal (NBCU) and the MultiChoice Group, Africa's biggest pay TV company. The UK-incorporated joint venture will operate a streaming service through NBCU's Peacock platform
- Interpath Advisory, joint administrators of Toucan Energy Holdings 1 Limited, on the sale of Toucan Energy’s solar portfolio to Schroders Greencoat, for approximately £700 million
- Link Group on the sale of its UK and Irish funds management business to Waystone Group
- Inflexion on the sale of Succession Wealth to Aviva for £385m
- Virgin Media O2 on its £360 million sale of a minority stake in mobile towers JV, Cornerstone, to GLIL Infrastructure LLP
- Tetra Tech Inc, a NASDAQ listed company, on its acquisition of engineering consultancy business Hoare Lea LLP
- Fidelio Capital on its acquisition of the Trinity Property Group, Rendall & Rittner and associated bolt-on acquisitions
- Cabot Square on a number of investments, acquisitions and disposals
- the lenders on the financing of the NeuConnect interconnector project, which will be the first interconnector between the UK and Germany and is one of the first interconnectors in Europe to be project-financed
- the lenders on the financing of Cory's Riverside 2 EfW facility, which will be located next to Cory's existing Riverside 1 EfW facility in Belvedere, southeast London
- Hammerson plc on various matters, including its 2021 disposal of a portfolio of retail parks valued at £330 million
- Suntec and ARA Dunedin on the £350 million acquisition of 3 Minster Court, London
- KKR on its joint venture for the 190,000 square foot office development of St Michaels, Manchester
- a Japanese investor on the acquisition, development and pre-letting of Christchurch Court in the City of London
- Lazard on its head office lease at 20 Manchester Square, London
- New Energy One Acquisition Corporation on its £175 million SPAC listing on the London Stock Exchange, backed by LiveStream and Italian-listed energy company Eni (for the issuer)
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