Francis Taylor Building

Administrative and public law Environment Planning Compulsory Purchase and Compensation

James Pereira K.C. specialises in planning, environmental, local government and administrative law, compulsory purchase and compensation. He enjoys both contentious and non-contentious work, loves advocacy of any kind, and finds a great deal of pleasure working with others to realise his clients’ ambitions.

James is consistently ranked among the top silks in his field.  He was nominated as Real Estate, Environment and Planning Silk of the Year by the Legal 500 Bar Awards for 2016, 2017 and 2019, and regularly ranked in the top planning silks in Planning Magazine review of the UK planning bar. Before taking silk he was the number one in Planning Magazine's survey of the Junior Planning Bar for three consecutive years (2012, 2013 and 2014), and twice named 'Junior Barrister of the Year' in Planning and Environmental Law by Chambers and Partners Directory of the UK Legal Profession.

James is the Consultant Editor for the Planning Law volumes of Halsbury's Laws and the co-author of leading text books in compulsory purchase, compensation, infrastructure planning and environmental law. For many years he was a Visiting Professor of Law at King’s College, London.

James is dedicated to optimising professional performance. He is a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation.  He is trained in systemic coaching for businesses and individuals, family therapy and NLP. In 2018 he founded a niche coaching practice for lawyers, law firms and other professionals (www.thelibrapartnership.com), to provide individual and organisational coaching and skills training services.  For nearly half a decade he has co-written a regular column in The Lawyer entitled "Loving Legal Life", giving advice on leadership, professional performance and workplace well-being. He has written on the same topics in the Bar's own journal, Counsel Magazine.  He is in demand as a speaker on these topics. He tweets as @JamesPereiraKC.

James understands that the decision to instruct Leading Counsel is an important one.  He is always willing to meet potential clients to discuss how best he can meet their needs, prior to a decision to instruct him.

James is happy to provide details of his experience in specific areas and references as appropriate.

Called to the Bar in 1996 (Middle Temple), took silk 2014 MA, St. Catharine's College, Cambridge (1993). LLM, King's College, London (1995). BA Level Diploma in translation (Portuguese-English), University of Westminster (1996). Visiting Professor in Environmental Law, King's College, London (2017-2022) Council member of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association (2011-2013) Committee Member of the Administrative Law Bar Association (2005-2007). Former Judicial Assistant to the Court of Appeal.

Portuguese (BA level diploma in translation, University of Westminster, 1996); basic French and Spanish.

PEBA UKELA CPA

Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Member of the Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Other: Gourmet Essentials certificate, Le Cordon Bleu, London (2010); Leith's Sauce Workshop (2012); Grade 8 piano (currently self-teaching jazz improvisation); Creativity Workshop, Lisbon (2017); Voice and Communication Workshop (London 2017); Ironman 70.3 Triathlon finisher (2016, 2017).