Biography
His practice focuses on advising private fund managers on the establishment and operation of private funds across all major alternative investment strategies, including on the strategic aspects of new manager establishment and platform extensions. James also has a particular specialism in advising managers and large cornerstone investors on GP-stake transactions and GP-led secondaries.
James was named among the “40 Under 40: Future Leaders of Private Equity 2023” by Private Equity International. Legal 500 ranks him as a “Leading Partner” for Private Funds and he is also ranked as an “Up and Coming Partner” by Chambers for ‘Investment Funds: Private Equity’. In the secondaries industry, James was ranked by Secondaries Investor in its ‘Next Gen Leaders’ list 2019.
Clients for whom James has acted include: Actis, Apse Capital, AshGrove Capital, Astarte Capital Partners, Balderton Capital, bd-capital Partners, Bregal Investments, Bregal Sphere, Brookfield, Generation Investment Management, ICG, Infracapital, I Squared Capital, Just Climate, M&G Catalyst, Montagu, Oakley Capital, PAI Partners, PX3 Partners, Syntagma Capital, Union Real Estate, Verdane and Yoo Capital.
Clients describe James as “an exceptional talent to work with. His commercial acumen, diligence and thoughtful approach paired with his relationship management skills with clients and other third parties are excellent”, and note his “true dedication to client service. He is committed to his clients’ success and will go above and beyond to find solutions to difficult issues. He’s smart and practical and a true partner of ours”.
Others state that “We have complete confidence in James, and the advice he presents to us. He's always able to provide market and LP context, as well as knowing the technical legal points inside out. We genuinely feel he is invested in the partnership between our two firms, understands our strategy, and is the best partner to help us deliver a best-in-class offering to investors” and “James is incredibly knowledgeable, commercial, client-friendly and has a diverse background of experience that makes him well suited to his role. His opinions are highly valued by clients and he is a trusted advisor”.
Prior to joining Weil, James was one of the original members of Rede Partners, where he acted for managers on primary fundraisings, strategic advisory mandates and secondary transactions. James also previously worked with the British Venture Capital Association and the UK Government advising on policy initiatives, the impact of legislative reforms and the drafting of primary legislation.