James Phillips

James was admitted to the roll in March 2024, having trained at a leading boutique superyacht and private jet firm in Mayfair. Before commencing his training contract, James worked in a range of litigation roles, including in international arbitration at a leading US firm.

On qualification, James moved in-house to a major UK-based shipowner, where he gained broad experience across corporate structuring, joint ventures and profit-sharing arrangements; ship finance, including asset finance, sale and leaseback structures and JOLCOs; sale and purchase; charterparty reviews, including bareboat and time charters; and broad FD&D claims analysis.

This breadth of experience enables James to approach clients’ matters with a practical understanding of both the legal and commercial pressures they face, and to provide clear, commercially focused advice.