James Sidwell > Gowling WLG > London, England > Lawyer Profile

James Sidwell brings an ‘incomparable work ethic‘ to his role as practice head at Gowling WLG. The firm runs the gamut of contentious regulatory matters, and is noted for its expertise in more niche areas, including FCA and PRA authorisation, supervision and enforcement, and mandates with a nexus to fintech, including cryptocurrency and blockchain developments.

Gowling WLG‘s ‘highly capable, committed and resourceful team‘ has notable sector expertise in a number of key sectors, including automotive, government, food and beverage, energy, and financial services. Senior litigation partner James Sidwell ‘has excellent judgement‘; Catherine Naylor is a specialist in multi-jurisdictional matters; and the varied caseload of Andrew Smith, who is ‘probably the best all-round litigator around‘, covers contract terminations, economic torts, legal professional privilege, misfeasance, and guarantees/indemnities. At non-partner level, Verity Barker is ‘unfailingly thoughtful and completely unflappable‘, while principal associate Tom Cox represents corporate and private clients in commercial disputes. Andrew Litchfield heads up the department from the firm’s Birmingham office.

Catherine Naylor heads the offering at Gowling WLG in London. The team also draws on the firm’s other private wealth practitioners in Singapore and Canada, primarily. It focuses on all aspects of trust litigation which often necessitates managing and coordinating complex cross-border disputes. The practice remains busy advising on claims by and against professional trustees and fiduciaries. James Sidwell and Jason Freedman are other names to note.

Gowling WLG’s banking litigation expertise extends to regulatory, structure finance, restructuring, and fraud, acting on many high-profile regulatory matters linked to Libor and FX. The team notably acts for JP Morgan on many of its banking disputes. James Sidwell is the head of the practice. He has experience across all aspects of corporate and financial services litigation, including fraud and asset tracing.  Further noted practitioners include Catherine Naylor and Sean Adams.