James Frampton

Practice Areas

James Frampton specialises in construction, engineering, energy and procurement disputes. He is ranked by Chambers & Partners (Construction, Professional Negligence, Public Procurement) and Legal 500 (Construction, Professional Negligence, and International Arbitration): “Very bright, focuses on the key issues, always prepares comprehensively, very good advocate, great manner. He is a star junior.”

James has specialist expertise in the Building Safety Act 2022 and cladding-related disputes. He acted as Junior Counsel for Mulalley in the first fire-safety cladding case tried in the TCC since Grenfell: Martlet Homes Ltd v Mulalley & Co Ltd [2022] EWHC 1813 (TCC). He is currently instructed in TCC claims involving Building Liability Orders, liability under section 149, and in First-tier Tribunal claims for Remediation Orders and Remediation Contribution Orders. He is an editor of Keating Chambers' BSA Update.

His wider practice includes professional negligence, as well as bringing and resisting adjudication enforcement claims in the TCC. He appeared unled in the Court of Appeal in A&V Building Solutions v J&B Hopkins [2023] EWCA Civ 54, the leading case on Part 8 responses to adjudicator decisions.

James has been appointed to the London B Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown (from September 2025), following a prior appointment to the C Panel. He is currently Junior Counsel for the Cabinet Office in Module 5 (Procurement) of the Covid Inquiry.

He is also regularly instructed as Junior Counsel in major international disputes across jurisdictions including South Africa, Australia UAE, and Qatar.