About me

Address: London: Eighth Floor, Ten Bishops Square, London E1 6EG

Areas of Focus: Financial Restructuring; Special Situations; Capital Solutions

Biography:
James practices in the areas of cross-border and domestic financial restructuring, workouts and insolvency, and advises clients in relation to strategic and legal issues concerning their distressed debt and special situations investments. He is consistently recognised as a market leader in his practice area in all major legal rankings surveys. James has broad knowledge in a range of different business sectors including telecommunications, packaging, paper, transport, mining, automotive, energy and power. James is known as the leading practitioner in the London market for Norwegian and other Scandinavian restructurings, as well as restructurings in the offshore, oil and gas and shipping sectors.

Representative Work:
- Adler: Counsel to the ad hoc group of holders of certain German-law bonds in relation to the amendment of certain terms through an English Restructuring Plan.
- Constellation Auto: Counsel to the majority preference shareholders in the comprehensive recapitalisation of Constellation Automotive Group, a European leader in precast concrete solutions.
- Consolis: Counsel to an ad hoc group of noteholders and lenders on the comprehensive restructuring of the Consolis Group, a European leader in precast concrete solutions.
- Oi: Counsel to an ad hoc group of lenders on the financial restructuring of Oi, the third largest telecommunications company in Latin America.
- Hurtigruten: Counsel to the ad hoc group of lenders on the refinancing of Hurtigruten AS, a Norwegian cruise line and coastal ferry business.
- Nostrum: Counsel to the ad hoc group of noteholders on the financial restructuring of Nostrum Oil & Gas plc, an oil and gas exploration and production company operating in Kazakhstan.
- PGS: Counsel to the ad hoc group of term loan lenders to PGS, the Oslo-listed holding company for a global seismic imaging group, in the financial restructuring of US$872 million of the company’s debt.
- Swissport: Counsel to the payment-in-kind (PIK) loan lenders in relation to the US$1.9 billion financial restructuring of Swissport, an aviation services company.

Credentials:
Education: L.P.C., The College of Law, Chester, 1994; LL.B., University of Leeds, 1993
Bar Admissions: Solicitor, England and Wales, 1997

Recognitions:
- Chambers UK, Restructuring/Insolvency, 2017-2026.
- Chambers Global, Restructuring/Insolvency.
- Chambers Europe, Restructuring/Insolvency, UK.
- The Legal 500 UK , Leading Individual: Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency, Banking Litigation: Investment and Retail.
- Who’s Who Legal, Thought Leader, Restructuring & Insolvency.
- Euromoney, Expert Guide , World’s Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers.
- Euromoney, Expert Guide, Banking, Finance and Transactional Law.
- IFLR1000 UK, Restructuring and Insolvency.
- Best Lawyers UK, Insolvency & Restructuring Law.

Affiliations:
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Insights:
- Akin Advises TPG, Oaktree and Oak Hill on Financing for Recommended Acquisition of evoke by Bally’s Intralot (June 9, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-advises-tpg-oaktree-and-oak-hill-on-financing-for-recommended-acquisition-of-evoke-by-ballys-intralot
- Chambers Global Recognizes Akin’s Lawyers and Practices in 2026 Edition (February 12, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-global-recognizes-akins-lawyers-and-practices-in-2026-edition
- Chambers UK Recognizes Akin Lawyers and Practices in 2026 Guide (October 17, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-uk-recognizes-akin-lawyers-and-practices-in-2026-guide
- Akin’s London Lawyers and Practices Recognized in Legal 500 UK 2026  (October 2, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akins-london-lawyers-and-practices-recognized-in-legal-500-uk-2026
- Akin Advises on Constellation Automotive Group’s Comprehensive Recapitalization (June 17, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-advises-on-constellation-automotive-groups-comprehensive-recapitalization
- Case Comment: Petrofac Restructuring Plans (June 9, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/case-comment-petrofac-restructuring-plans
- Akin Advises Lenders to OQ Chemicals on Recapitalisation (April 9, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-advises-lenders-to-oq-chemicals-on-recapitalisation
- Chambers Europe 2025 Recognizes Akin Lawyers and Practices  (March 20, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-europe-2025-recognizes-akin-lawyers-and-practices
- Chambers Global Recognizes Akin’s Lawyers and Practices in 2025 Edition (February 14, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-global-recognizes-akins-lawyers-and-practices-in-2025-edition
- Special Situations: Addressing Post-LME Protections in 2025 (January 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/special-situations-addressing-post-lme-protections-in-2025
- Akin Advises on Comprehensive Recapitalization Transaction of Consolis Group (December 3 2024): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-advises-on-comprehensive-recapitalization-transaction-of-consolis-group
- Chambers UK Recognizes Akin Lawyers and Practices in 2025 Guide (October 17 2024): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-uk-recognizes-akin-lawyers-and-practices-in-2025-guide