Damian James
Partner | Jersey
Private Client and Trusts
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A talented advocate with a measured approach.
Chambers and Partners -
A star front man who is easily able to translate technical aspects into commercial practice.
Chambers UK 2024 -
You would not want anyone else in court assisting you; Damian is remarkable.
Chambers UK 2024 -
A leading lawyer in Jersey and a go-to choice.
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Damian is technically very good, his knowledge of Jersey and the law is exceptional and he is very astute.
Chambers UK 2024 -
Damian stands out as extraordinarily expert and experienced, but is always willing to draw on fresh ideas and new perspectives when suggested.
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Damian is my primary contact in the DR practice. A pleasure to work with. He has a calm, quiet manner and immediately gets to the heart of the issue.
Legal 500 (UK) 2023 -
He is so very good at trust litigation. He's very strategic and pragmatic, and he always provides commercial arguments.
Chambers and Partners 2022 -
Highly thought of by his colleagues and peers, as well as the court officials– in particular the judges.
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Particularly good at strategising, considering options and advising accordingly.
Legal 500 -
Damian is always great in leading representations on behalf of clients in a bold and confident manner.
Chambers UK 2023 -
Damian has a real gravitas - he exudes that authoritative quality that's good in court.
Chambers UK 2024 -
Without a doubt my best asset.
Legal 500 -
What Damian doesn't know about the Jersey court system isn't worth knowing.
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Demonstrates a clear understanding of the most complex cases. He is extremely hard-working and knowledgeable, and delivers prompt, concise advice
Legal 500 -
A superb trusts litigator – in my view, the best in Jersey.
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Astute, calm and authoritative tactician.
Legal 500 -
Damian is knowledgeable on the law and an extremely good communicator. He engenders trust very quickly and speaks with authority - the perfect mix of legal expertise and commercial nous.
Chambers UK 2023 -
A first-class lawyer.
Overview
Damian heads up the Private Client and Trusts team in Jersey and has been a Partner since 2003. He is an experienced litigator who specialises in contentious and semi-contentious trust work and heavyweight commercial litigation.
Experience
Damian is a member of the Fraud Network and is highly ranked in both the main legal directories. He is listed as a prominent figure in the contentious trust section of the Citywealth leading lawyers list and he sits on the board of one of the world's largest litigation funds. The company specialises in funding high profile, multi billion-pound, international group action claims.
Damian is named in Legal 500's Hall of Fame UK lawyers list which identifies exceptional legal talent at the pinnacle of their profession. He is also ranked in band 2 by Chambers in the 2024 UK Guide.
The role of a modern trustee has never been more complex. Trustees must satisfy the needs and desires of their beneficiaries, manage complex assets and navigate an ever-changing legal and regulatory landscape.
We know that trustees can need assistance and advice on how best to satisfy their duties and to meet their legal and regulatory obligations. We understand and have a great deal of experience in working with trustees to get ahead of any potentially difficult situation and resolve it in a way that minimises risk and conflict.
In regulatory disputes there are often fine lines between the usual wrangling with the regulator and something more serious – by matching our mix of experienced contentious and non-contentious lawyers to the particular problem at hand, we achieve better and more efficient outcomes. As regulatory experts, we frequently act on contentious matters and can leverage our experience to help clients achieve the highest regulatory standards and avoid common pitfalls.
We represent beneficiaries, high-net-worth individuals, trustees, protectors and other power holders in a range of contentious and semi-contentious situations. Our lawyers have been at the forefront of the most complex, high-value private wealth litigation offshore.
We often deal with novel points of law, creating new and innovative solutions to meet the needs of our clients.
Given the international nature of private wealth, with clients and their assets spread across the world, we work as a joined-up global team so that our clients can benefit from the knowledge and experience wherever they may need it.
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