James Bailey > Chambers of Gavin Kealey KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

James Bailey

jbailey@7kbw.co.uk

Position

James has a busy practice spanning all areas of commercial law, including insurance and reinsurance, general commercial disputes, international arbitration, civil fraud, offshore litigation, shipping, company and partnership disputes, and professional negligence.

His current and recent instructions as junior counsel include representing the successful insurers in an appeal from the Bahamas to the Privy Council as junior to Jawdat Khurshid KC (McPhee v Colina Insurance Ltd [2023] UKPC 8), a multi-jurisdictional civil fraud case acting for a sovereign wealth fund and in four conjoined appeals before the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal (British Virgin Islands) arising out of a derivative action, led by Jern-Fei Ng KC (Lau Man Sang v King Bun Limited Claim No. BVIHCMAP 2021/0034: judgment in the liability appeal).

James has considerable advocacy experience. James recently made the oral submissions in an appeal in the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, appeared as sole counsel in the High Court in a challenge under section 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996 and appeared in hundreds of small claims while a trainee solicitor in Scotland, prior to transferring to the Bar.

James studied law at the University of Edinburgh, where he was the second-most distinguished graduate in his year. James was then awarded a distinction in the MPhil in Law at the University of Oxford. James has also published articles and spoken at conferences on a variety of commercial matters and his research has been cited by the Law Commission. James is also a member of the Bar of the British Virgin Islands.

Career

James is called to the bar in England and Wales (2020) and in the British Virgin Islands (2022).

Memberships

COMBAR

Education

University of Oxford (2020 MPhil (Law), Distinction)

The University of Edinburgh (2017 Dip LP, Distinction)

The University of Edinburgh (2016 LLB, First Class, Second-Most Distinguished Graduate)