James Freeman
Partner
London
James Freeman
Partner
London
Contact Details
James is a Partner in the International Arbitration Group in the London office. He has conducted arbitrations under all of the major institutional rules and at all of the main seats, in a wide range of industry sectors. He acts in both commercial and investor-state cases. He is a Solicitor Advocate and routinely appears as an advocate at substantive hearings. Legal 500 and Chambers UK has described him as an "excellent advocate", "a class act" and "particularly impressive."
James’s practice has a particular focus on energy, and he is highly valued by clients for, among other things, his expertise in gas and LNG pricing disputes. He is acknowledged to be leading current thinking in this area, co-editing the 2nd edition of the Gas Price Arbitrations – the only textbook on the subject. James is also known for his expertise in finance sector arbitrations and has acted as counsel for ISDA on its Arbitration Guide.
Widely respected in the market, James features in all of the leading legal directories. In Chambers & Partners UK 2023, it is stated that James is “bright, hard-working and someone you want on your team”; that “He provides excellent service on matters involving complex commercial and tactical issues” and is “an impressive advocate and commercial arbitrator.” Previous editions have described him as “a pleasure to work with. He's super bright and intellectually rigorous”; “A class act. He's thoughtful and sensible”; and “all over the facts of a case,”... “He knows exactly why he's there and is massively persuasive.” Legal 500, 2023 describes James as “versatile, smart and pragmatic” and previous comments include that he is “engaging and always very calm and measured, as well as being fun to work with – responsive and on top of all of the details.” Who’s Who Legal Arbitration 2023 states that “James Freeman excels on the international stage, being described as ‘really good practitioner’ who is consistently ‘meticulous and thoughtful’”.
Expertise
Practices
Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations
Public International Law and Investment Disputes
Sectors
Qualifications
Professional
Partner, 2018
Counsel, 2015
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2004
Academic
BA (Hons), First Class, Ancient & Modern History, New College Oxford University, 1998
Post Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction, City University London, 2000
LPC, Commendation, The College Of Law, London, 2001
Diploma in International Arbitration, Distinction, Queen Mary College, University of London, 2010
Related articles
Blog Post: 25 January 2023
A&O’s view on the Law Commission’s consultation on reform of the Arbitration Act (Part 1 of 3)
The Law Commission for England and Wales has consulted on potential reforms to the Arbitration Act 1996 (the Act). In this first of three posts, we summarise A&O’s response to four key areas of the…
Publications: 11 October 2022
Publications: 15 February 2022
If it ain't broke, don't fix it? The Law Commission's review of The Arbitration Act 1996
Experience highlights
Advising Bank of Cyprus in defeating complex ICC arbitration claims arising out of the Eurozone crisis and the 2013 Cypriot bail-in legislation.
Advising an oil major in an arbitration with a joint venture partner in a deep-water exploration project off West Africa.
Advising JKX Oil & Gas on three investment treaty claims against Ukraine.
Advising a major LNG producer in a price review arbitration of unrivalled complexity involving six European markets and EU competition law issues.
Expertise
Practices
Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations
Public International Law and Investment Disputes
Sectors
Qualifications
Professional
Partner, 2018
Counsel, 2015
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2004
Academic
BA (Hons), First Class, Ancient & Modern History, New College Oxford University, 1998
Post Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction, City University London, 2000
LPC, Commendation, The College Of Law, London, 2001
Diploma in International Arbitration, Distinction, Queen Mary College, University of London, 2010
Published work
- Joint editor of "Gas Price Arbitrations" (2nd edition, 2015)
- Chapter on "Practical aspects of price reviews" in "The Law and Business of LNG" (2nd edition)
- Chapter on "Practical issues specific to arbitration concerning financial products" in "International Financial Disputes - Arbitration and Mediation" (OUP, 2015)
- "The use of arbitration in the financial services industry" in Business Law International (December, 2014)
- "Arbitration in international banking and finance : recent developments" in Practical Law (2012)
- "Should parties specify the law applicable to their arbitration agreements"? in Practical Law (January 2014)
- "Guidelines on Party Representation in International Arbitration" (International Arbitration Law Review, 2013)
- "Demystifying the use of arbitration clauses in international finance documents" (Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law, 2012)
- "Ethical issues for counsel in international arbitration" (Practical Law, 2012)
Recognition
James is extremely impressive and thoroughly deserves his exceptional reputation in the industry
Who's Who Legal: Arbitration 2022 - Legal Marketplace Analysis
Excellent critical thinking, James Freeman is particularly adept at disputes involving financial instruments as well as those arising in the energy sector. He has excellent instincts for what the client needs, and exceeds client expectations.
Chambers 2017
In the top 2 “most highly regarded individuals” among non-partners in Europe.
Who’s Who Legal’s Arbitration Future Leaders 2018
James is a quality guy: excellent all round, highly visible on the circuit and very well respected.
Who’s Who Legal’s Arbitration Future Leaders 2017
