Douglas James

International Arbitration

Douglas has a growing international practice, acting for construction and other commercial entities in arbitrations under various institutional and ad-hoc rules.

Selected Cases

Current and recent arbitrations include:

• Acting (led by Mark Chennells KC) for the respondent employer in a c. $70m ICC arbitration on a delayed combined-cycle power plant project in the Caribbean (bespoke turnkey EPC contract, London seat, English law).
• Acting (led by Roger Stewart KC and Richard Liddell KC and now as sole counsel) in a c. $66m ICC arbitration on a delayed eastern European road infrastructure project (FIDIC Yellow, Paris seat, Ukrainian law).
• Part of a large team of counsel acting for the Engineer in a c. $5bn ad-hoc arbitration about the design of a Middle East hub airport.
• Acting for the seller of oil pipeline equipment in an ICC arbitration concerning the Sangachal oil and gas terminal near Baku, Azerbaijan (bespoke contract, London seat, mixed English and Azerbaijani law)
• Acting for the claimant Ukrainian construction plant manufacturer in a c. £1.8m LCIA arbitration where the respondent Dutch buyer claims force majeure following the outbreak of war (bespoke contract, London seat, English law).
• Acting for a French electrical components supplier in a c. €800,000 LCIA arbitration concerning the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant project (bespoke contract, London seat, English law.
• Acting for a sports marketing firm in an LCIA arbitration against a Russian pharmaceutical company (bespoke contract, London seat, mixed English and Russian law).

Awards

City University and Lincoln’s Inn

• Eastham scholar (Pupillage award, Lincoln’s Inn, 2015)
• Buchanan Prize (BPTC award, Lincoln’s Inn, 2015)
• Berwin Leighton Paisner Prize for best law-school team, Worshipful Company of Arbitrators arbitration competition, 2015 (representing City University)
• Lord Denning scholar (BPTC scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2014)
• Monckton Prize for EU Law (City University, 2014)
• Winner, University of Southampton IV moot (representing Lincoln’s Inn, 2014)
• Lord Bowen scholar (GDL scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn, 2013)
• Hardwicke scholar (Entrance award, Lincoln’s Inn, 2013)

King’s College London

• Wellcome scholar (full stipendiary PhD scholarship, 2010-13)
• Society for the Social History of Medicine bursary (2012)
• Arts and Humanities Research Council scholar (MA scholarship, 2009-10)

UCL

• Elizabeth Margaret Dale Cast Prize (top overall degree, 2009)
• Dean’s List (2009)
• Professor Joel Hurstfield Prize (top in 2nd year, 2008)
• Dolley Prize (top in 1st year, 2007)

News

• Douglas James successfully defends a jurisdiction challenge by a Part 20 Defendant in a dispute over the ownership of a valuable art collection

Articles

• LADs: Are they always recoverable?
• The Motor Vehicles (Compulsory Insurance) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019

Read more

Qualifications

• 2015 – BPTC – City University – Outstanding
• 2014 – GDL – City University – Distinction
• 2013 – PhD History (Portraits of early-modern patients) – King’s College London
• 2010 – MA Early Modern History – King’s College London – Distinction
• 2009 – BA (Hons) History – University College London – First Class (top in year)

Memberships

• SCL
• TECBAR
• COMBAR