Dr James Bickford Smith > Chambers of Gavin Mansfield KC > London, England > Barrister Profile
Littleton Chambers Offices
Littleton Chambers
3 KING'S BENCH WALK NORTH, TEMPLE
LONDON
EC4Y 7HR
England
- Set Profile
- Go to...
Dr James Bickford Smith
Position
Commercial, Employment, Partnership, Commercial Chancery.
In particular: 1) commercial litigation in England and Wales and in Middle East (registered practitioner in DIFC) 2) employment litigation in England and Wales and Middle East 3) director disputes or similar disputes arising out of fiduciary relationships 3) Partnership work.
James has obtained significant trial experience domestically and internationally in disputes across all his practice area. He has come to be regularly instructed in large-scale cases either to lead teams or as sole counsel. 2023/4 trial instructions have included a ten day trial in Dubai International Financial Centre (sole counsel), a five day trial in the Abu Dhabi Global Market Court (leading) and a multi-week trial in the London Central Employment Tribunal (sole counsel). Also instructed in significant team move litigation ultimately resolved without trial (leading a team of two).
Shortlisted as IEL International Employment Junior of the Year. International commercial litigation also forms a core component of James’ practice.
The author of the PLC practice note on Injunctions, James is familiar with Interim Applications of most descriptions across the commercial and employment field.
James is the Chair of Littleton’s Partnership Group and is regularly instructed in high value partnership disputes proceeding in ET or arbitration.
Career
Called to Bar in 2008 as mature entrant.
Publications: Since 2012, columnist for the Practical Law Company, including “A Practical View From the Bar” and author of the main practice note on Injunctions.
Memberships
COMBAR; ELBA; APP.
Education
Double First Class Honours (Balliol College). Masters and Doctorate. Former Lecturer at Oxford University. Also studied at Ecole Normale Supérieure.
Lawyer Rankings
London Bar > Partnership
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 2James Bickford Smith – Littleton Chambers ‘He has an excellent analytical mind and is dedicated to his work; he is well able to respond to new arguments which arise – and expresses himself very well both orally and in writing.’
Littleton Chambers covers a full range of partnership issues, including those that intersect with employment. Within partnership disputes, members are instructed by financial and professional services LLPs, alongside other areas of law including discrimination and whistleblowing, both domestically and internationally. David Reade KC covers company, partnership and LLP disputes, while head of chambers Gavin Mansfield KC has been involved in Armstrong and others v Taylor and others, a High Court claim between members in an investment management business, where the claimant group claims the managing partner and a second group of partners conspired to remove the claimant group’s influence to siphon away profits from them. Mohinderpal Sethi KC handles domestic and cross-border partnership and LLP disputes, and James Bickford Smith is noted for his expertise acting for individual LLP members in exit disputes.
London Bar > Employment
(Leading Juniors)Ranked: Tier 3James Bickford Smith – Littleton Chambers ‘He is unflappable and his tactical input is highly valued.’
Middle East: The English Bar > Commercial
(Leading juniors)Ranked: Tier 1With particularly strong connections to the UAE’s free zones, Littleton Chambers has an established reputation in employment, discrimination, executive exit and business protection disputes. Mohinderpal Sethi KC continues to act in a number of high-profile employment litigation and arbitration proceedings concerning team moves, restrictive covenants, breach of confidence as well as handling complex freeze and search orders. James Bickford Smith acts as lead counsel in Al Khawaja v TPL Investment Management Limited, defending against the allegation that the investment fund provides the former CEO of the company permanent incentive rights in the ADGM.