James has over 20 years of experience in intellectual property law in the United Kingdom, European Union, Australia, and (since 2014), the Middle East.
His practice focuses on all aspects of intellectual property, with a particular emphasis on brand protection. James has extensive experience in advertising clearance; brand counselling; management of intellectual property portfolios; trade mark clearance, prosecution and maintenance programs; advising on copyright creation, ownership and use; design rights; commercialisation of intellectual property rights through licensing, franchising, and divesting/acquisition strategies; and intellectual property disputes and enforcement before administrative bodies, and courts.
James advises clients ranging from small businesses through to market leading multinational companies across a diverse range of industry sectors. These include hospitality and leisure; entertainment; personal care and beauty; finance; retail; transportation; energy and resources; aviation; technology; construction; pharmaceuticals; luxury goods; and the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors.
He is registered as a legal consultant at the Dubai Legal Affairs Department and is a dual-qualified solicitor admitted in New South Wales (Australia) and England and Wales (United Kingdom). James holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Master of Laws. In addition to his private practice experience, James has also held in-house roles in the trade mark department of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
With the benefit of both in-house experience, and a litigation background earlier in his career (including as a Judge's Associate in the District Court of New South Wales), James considers intellectual property disputes from the perspective of each client and the circumstances of their individual matters, with a focus on what is the most commercially effective strategy in their specific case.
James also has a keen interest in fostering awareness of intellectual property, both within and outside the legal profession. He has spoken at various congresses and industry events, and moderated a range of panel discussions, over many years and has participated in a number of committees as part of his membership of the International Trademark Association (INTA).
From 2018 to 2026, James wrote and delivered the annual intellectual property courses to Dubai based legal consultants as part of the Continuing Legal Professional Development training through the Dubai Legal Affairs Department.
