James Thorndyke > Armstrong Teasdale > London, England > Lawyer Profile
Armstrong Teasdale Offices
38-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
LONDON
WC2A 3PE
England
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James Thorndyke

Work Department
Sports and Commercial Litigation
Position
Partner in the Sports and Commercial Litigation departments. James acts for sporting bodies as well as sports men and women, he has extensive experience in resolving contractual disputes in a variety of sports including motorsport, football, athletics, cricket and rugby union.
James also has particular experience in advising on regulatory and disciplinary issues. He has acted for clients in proceedings involving the Football Association, the British Horseracing Authority, the Motor Sports Association and the Football League. James acts for event organisers and governing bodies in enforcing ticket terms and conditions to major sporting events. This involves advising clients on the process of obtaining interim injunctions against third parties selling ticket only and or hospitality packages to well-known sporting events taking place in England and Wales without authority to do so, and acting for clients in the ensuing court proceedings.
In addition, James has a substantial IP practice within which he advises and acts for companies and individuals in protecting their intellectual property, including advising on claims relating to copyright and trade mark infringement as well as in relation to pass off. He is a keen advocate of Alternative Dispute Resolution and in particular, mediation, having settled a number of matters through the ADR processes. James is a member of the British Association of Sports Law and has delivered lectures on topics including reputation management and basic contractual rights. James has also written extensively on legal issues in sport.
Career
Trained at Ashfords, qualified in 2007. Joined Kerman & Co in 2012-2021. Kerman & Co combined with Armstrong Teasdale in 2021.
Memberships
British Association of Sports Law
Education
Cardiff University LLB Law & Politics
Lawyer Rankings
London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
(Leading individuals)Event management specialists Armstrong Teasdale support a number of major competitions, such as The All-England Lawn Tennis Club, the London Marathon and EUFA, with an exhaustive range of relevant issues, including delivery and supplier agreements, security contracts, venue agreements, data protection, and concession contracts. The practice is headed up by Zane Shihab, while James Thorndyke focuses on regulatory and disciplinary issues, often in the public eye. Thorndyke also assists on issues involving the illegal buying and selling of sporting events tickets. Consultant Nick Bitel supports Shihab on the drafting and negotiation of regulations in the equestrian space.
London > Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
‘Committed to the cause‘, Armstrong Teasdale‘s commercial litigation department has a strong presence in the finance, natural resources, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing industries. UK department head Robert Paydon is ‘a very good strategic thinker‘; James Thorndyke focuses on sport, IP and general commercial disputes; Fraser Mitchell is a recently-elevated partner; and senior counsel Andy Kerman is ‘a great tactician‘. Senior associate Emma Shaw and of counsel Molly Ahmed are also key litigators.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Commercial litigation: mid-market London > Dispute resolution
- Sport London > TMT (technology, media and telecoms)
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Corporate and commercial > M&A: Smaller Deals, £10m-£100m
- Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: mid-market
- Corporate and commercial > Equity capital markets – small-mid cap
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Mining and minerals
- TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport
- Projects, energy and natural resources > Oil and gas
- Employment > Immigration
- Employment > Employers