James is a corporate finance specialist with over 20 years of experience. 

He has a particular focus on strategic equity capital markets work.

His experience includes initial public offerings and other equity capital raisings, governance, sustainability, the articulation and management of legal and compliance risks, and assisting companies implement complex transactions and change, including acquisitions, disposals and reorganisations.

He has advised issuers, boards, shareholders, governments, banks and other stakeholders, and has acted on transactions in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America.

He is widely recognised as a leading ECM lawyer and is ranked by Chambers, Legal 500 and IFLR1000.

Experience

Representative matters

IPOs and listings 
Over 20 years’ experience advising numerous companies, shareholders, governments and underwriting banks on initial public offerings and listings of companies on the London stock exchange and other international stock exchanges. 

Experience includes acting on the IPOs of Eurowag, Softline, Moonpig, Network International, Allegro.eu, Ninety One, Allied Irish Banks. Coca-Cola Iberian Partners, Arion Bank, Equiniti, Clydesdale Bank, Hibernia REIT, McCarthy & Stone, Ibstock, Softcat, Marel, Electrica and DP Eurasia (Domino’s Pizza). 

Public company transactions 
Experience acting as strategic adviser to listed companies and their advisers on transformational events and transactions, including demergers, acquisitions and disposals, restructurings and reorganisations, and changes to capital structure. 

Examples include advising on: the demerger of Softline into its global and Russian businesses; the demerger of Ninety One from Investec; the refinancing (and debt for equity swap) of Interserve; the acquisition by Hellenic Bank of assets and liabilities of Cyprus Cooperative Bank; the demerger of Clydesdale Bank from National Australia Bank Limited; numerous open offers and rights issues, including by Easyjet, Capita, Rolls Royce, Equiniti, Hibernia REIT and Piraeus Bank 

Pro bono

Director of Innovating Minds, which delivers training to open up access to early help for children who have had traumatic experiences. 

Advisor to The New Leaf Initiative, which offers resettlement support to serving prisoners and people with convictions in the community. 
 


Recognition
James is extraordinarily dependable and hard-working. He brings ideas that add significant value and a wealth of experience that creates trust and confidence.
Chambers UK 2023 (Equity Capital Markets)
He is great to work with, always available and he’s always thinking about potential solutions. He is absolutely superb.
Chambers UK 2022 (Equity Capital Markets)

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2000

Academic

LLB, Law, UCL University of London, 1996

Post Graduate Diploma, Bachelor of Civil Law, Oxford University, 1997

LPC, Law, The College Of Law, London, 1998

Languages

English
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Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.