NewLaw Guide 2026 : Global-wide
Provided by The Stephen James Partnership
The Stephen James Partnership (SJP) focuses exclusively in placing top-tier Interim Lawyers on secondment within in-house legal teams. Operating a PAYE-only model with no third-party subcontracting, SJP is able to pay consultants at market rate without passing law firm-level costs onto clients, a proposition that has driven rapid growth since the division launched. Every consultant is pre-vetted, with bespoke additional screening carried out for each successful engagement.
With a sharp focus on the in-house legal market, SJP has built a particularly strong presence in a very short space of time. The breadth of consultant expertise spans every practice area, meaning clients can be matched with the right specialist regardless of the legal challenge at hand, whether that is day-to-day commercial work, regulatory matters, or more complex transactional support, and in record speed.
Provided by Chambers
Stephen James Partnership provides flexible legal staffing through interim placements, contract lawyers and project‑based resourcing, supporting in‑house legal teams with short‑term, specialist and surge capacity across a range of practice areas. It has particular strength in working with FinTech and payments businesses.
Samuel Clague is the firm's CEO and head of its interim legal practice.
Provided by Chambers
The Stephen James Partnership provided interim legal staffing to FIS Global, a FinTech business, including placements relating to commercial, corporate and employment law.
Provided by Chambers
The Stephen James Partnership really understands our business and the types of lawyers that we are looking for. The candidates that they put forward are always on point: the right legal experience and expertise, and the right mindset to work here. They are very responsive and quick to assist.
The Stephen James Partnership are very client-need focused and go the extra mile to meet the client's needs.
The Stephen James Partnership is personable and very responsive to deal with on a day-to-day basis. In terms of the actual staffing, the firm is very quick in finding staff who fit not only the levels of seniority that you are looking for but also have the right mix of experience in industry sectors that you have requested. The speed with which they are able to locate the right person is impressive.
I have always been impressed by the quality of the candidates that The Stephen James Partnership have proposed for open positions, which compares favourably to other providers of interim support.
The Stephen James Partnership provides amongst the most proactive client management I have ever encountered.
Chambers is the leading data and intelligence partner for the legal sector.
