James Anderson

Practice Areas

James Anderson is head of Skadden’s European tax practice.

Mr. Anderson is highly experienced in private capital arrangements, with a particular focus on the establishment and ongoing operations of asset management structures; investments in liquid markets, infrastructure, crypto, real estate and credit; and compensation for private capital principals.

He also regularly counsels on the full range of public capital markets transactions, including IPOs, SPACs and structured debt offerings. He has also advised various govern­ments on new corporate and tax laws. Recently, his practice has focused on new intersec­tions between private capital and technology, particularly in high-frequency, algorithmic and augmented intelligence trading sectors, as well as handling corporate groups’ planning in response to Pillar II.

Mr. Anderson handles a wide range of tax controversy matters and has worked on enquiries by the U.K. revenue authorities, tax court cases, disclosure programmes, transfer pricing disputes, APAs and MAPs, as well as various settlement negotiations. He also has experience in complex cross-border inter partes tax disputes.

Professional Memberships

Mr. Anderson is a member of the International Bar Association and the International Fiscal Association (IFA) British Branch committee. He also is a member of the HMRC/HMT Consultation Group for the U.K. fund management industry and vice chair of the Tax Committee for the Alternative Investment Management Association, lobbying for good practice in the taxation of U.K. and cross-border asset manage­ment activities. In addition, he serves as a member of the HMRC Transfer Pricing Forum and various other stakeholder committees.

Law Society of England & Wales

Law Society of Ireland

IFA (British Branch) Committee International Tax Planning Association

International Bar Association

Publications

Mr. Anderson frequently presents at seminars on the taxation of space and has been quoted in several publications on this growing area of law. In 2020, Mr. Anderson was one of 10 legal practitioners featured in “Innovative Lawyers: Europe,” a report published by the Financial Times that highlighted his work in this area. In 2019, he chaired the Space Taxation seminar at the IFA Global Congress in London.

Personal

In 2025, Mr. Anderson was named by the Lady Chief Justice to the Pro Bono Recognition List for England & Wales for his commit­ment to pro bono work, both at the firm and in the community. He assisted in the establishment of a bridge fund for Shell Foundation in relation to mobility and access to renewable energy in Africa and Asia, worked with the Global Fund to End Slavery for the Walk Free organization and helped structure Create Streets, a charity dedicated to neighbourhood planning and alleviating housing shortages in the U.K. He has also advised Shivia, an organisation that aims to empower indigent families in India by creating livelihoods, Women@TheTable initiative sponsored by the United Nations, and ElectHer, an organization dedicated to promoting greater represen­tation of women in the political class. Additionally, Mr. Anderson supervises Skadden London’s JUST Programme, which provides an entry point for undergraduate students who want to pursue a legal career in social justice. He also assists the PRIME Programme with workshops for underprivileged local students.