James Taylor - Barrister - London & BVI

James is an employed barrister working across the firm’s core practice areas, with a particular focus on commercial litigation, commercial and civil fraud, insolvency and company disputes.  He acts variously as sole counsel, junior counsel and in an associate capacity on CANDEY matters (both London and BVI).

His recent work includes:

  • Acting for the defendant trustee, appointed as representative of the beneficiaries, in a claim seeking revocation of seven BVI trusts on grounds of mistake (junior counsel to David Harby, also of CANDEY).

  • Acting for the petitioners in trial of a s994 unfair prejudice petition concerning the contrived insolvency of a recruitment business (sole counsel in High Court, Business List (ChD)).

  • Drafting Reply and Defence to Counterclaim in debt claim arising out of failure by co-supplier to make onward payments pursuant to a services agreement and cooperation agreement (with Tony Beswetherick KC).

  • Advising on the effect of a settlement agreement between lender and co-guarantor under an English law-governed facility agreement, and on the effect of the rule in Gibbs on foreign proceedings.

  • Advising the UK subsidiary of a leading Indian real estate company in relation to threatened proceedings by its former LLP partner.

  • Advising on whether the right to terminate was effectively excluded by the terms of a share purchase agreement, and on the contractual enforceability of a deed that had not been validly executed (sole counsel). 

  • Obtaining relief from sanctions (debarring witness statements) in proceedings arising out of an investment agreement made between shareholders in a farming company (sole counsel in the High Court, Circuit Commercial Court (KBD)).

  • Obtaining a Norwich Pharmacal order against a leading high street bank in relation to a phishing fraud targeting an Italian clothing manufacturer (sole counsel in the High Court, ChD).

  • Drafting claim notices in respect of alleged breaches of insured warranties in a share purchase agreement, and in the same matter drafting LCIA Request for Arbitration seeking c. £5 million.

  • Advising an SME in relation to authorised push payment (APP) banking fraud. 

  • Drafting pre-action correspondence and advised in relation to prospective claims against two investment banks in respect of their early redemption of equity-linked securities.

Before commencing pupillage, James was the Judicial Assistant to David Richards LJ in the Court of Appeal; and subsequently a Research Assistant in the Commercial and Common Law team at the Law Commission of England and Wales.

During his legal studies James was a Lord Denning Scholar of Lincoln’s Inn and won the Lincoln’s Inn Student Law Journal Prize.  Before converting to law James graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge with a First in history.

James was called to the Bar of England and Wales at Lincoln’s Inn in October 2021 and the Bar of the British Virgin Islands in November 2024.

Email: jtaylor@candey.com