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

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James Sidwell

Position
Based in LG’s respected dispute resolution team, James is an experienced commercial litigator with a particular focus on banking and regulatory disputes. He specialises in domestic and cross-border disputes in the banking and financial services sectors together with risk management, contentious regulatory and investigatory work. James has been involved in a large number of high-profile matters before domestic and international courts, as well as arbitral bodies. He is also part of the team advising the Federal Republic of Brazil and the municipality of Sao Paulo in the high-profile ongoing case about claims brought against British Virgin Islands-registered companies allegedly owned by Paulo Maluf, the former mayor of Sao Paulo.
Career
Slaughter and May 2001-07; Allens Arthur Robinson (Melbourne) 2007-09; Lawrence Graham LLP, solicitor 2010-11, partner 2011 to date; Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co, partner, 2014.
Education
University of Bristol (1998 BA (Hons) First Class Ancient History); College of Law Chester (1999 CPE, 2000 LPC).
Lawyer Rankings
London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
(Leading individuals)Providing ‘a very able and experienced team for substantial commercial litigation‘, Gowling WLG is consistently sought out for large international and domestic commercial disputes, particularly Chancery and Commercial Court cases. ‘A super lawyer and a great team player,’ senior litigation partner James Sidwell also co-heads the firm’s financial services sector group; Catherine Naylor, ‘an exceptional litigator,’ is particularly focused on complex, multi-jurisdictional cases; and ‘star litigator‘ Andrew Smith‘s track record includes large amounts of work in the automotive, food and drink, Pharma, property development and telecoms industries. At legal director level, Verity Barker acts in a variety of cross-border commercial litigation, while Susannah Fink is on hand for both general commercial litigation and insurance disputes. Within the principal associate pool, Tom Cox‘s experience includes three successful heavyweight High Court trials in a recent five-year period, while Alexander Wrixon combines his litigation expertise with insurance market experience.
London > Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
Led by James Sidwell, Gowling WLG is geared to support on an extensive array of contentious financial services affairs including FRC, FCA and PRA authorisations, supervisory and enforcement proceedings, LIBOR matters, FX manipulations and SEC investigations; the team is also notably formidable within the fintech field, acting on contentious ICO, cryptocurrency and blockchain proceedings.
London > Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
Gowling WLG is particularly specialised in acting for liquidators of financial services companies, handling disputes involving their assets as well as litigation against former directors for alleged fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. Catherine Naylor and Andrew Witts take the lead on this work. James Sidwell leads the overall practice and has a close relationship with JP Morgan, representing the investment bank in a range of disputes related to loans and forex transactions.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals - London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Commercial litigation: mid-market - London > Dispute resolution
- Banking litigation: investment and retail - London > Dispute resolution
- Financial services: contentious - London > Corporate and commercial
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Investment fund formation and management > Listed funds
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Water
Firm Rankings
- Corporate and commercial > Commercial contracts
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Real estate > Commercial property: development
- Real estate > Commercial property: investment
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Infrastructure
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: patents (contentious and non-contentious)
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Intellectual property: trade marks, copyright and design
- Industry focus > Life sciences and healthcare
- Employment > Pensions (non-contentious)
- Employment > Pensions: dispute resolution
- Industry focus > Retail and consumer
- Real estate > Commercial property: corporate occupiers
- Real estate > Construction: contentious
- Real estate > Construction: non-contentious
- Industry focus > Emerging markets
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition: trade, WTO anti-dumping and customs
- Crime, fraud and licensing > Fraud: civil
- Employment > Health and safety
- Public sector > Healthcare
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- Real estate > Planning
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables)
- Real estate > Property litigation
- Transport > Rail
- Investment fund formation and management > Real estate funds
- Private client > Contentious trusts and probate
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Fintech
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > IT and telecoms
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: lower mid-market deals, £50m-£500m
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Media and entertainment (including media finance)
- Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m)
- Real estate > Property finance
- Real estate > Social housing: finance
- Industry focus > TMT
- Corporate and commercial > Venture capital
- Public sector > Administrative and public law
- Dispute resolution > Banking litigation: investment and retail
- Real estate > Environment
- Corporate and commercial > EU and competition
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: contentious
- Corporate and commercial > Financial services: non-contentious/regulatory
- Dispute resolution > International arbitration