James Price

Practice Areas

James has substantial experience in handling complex, high-value and often high-profile litigation, having acted for high net worth individuals in the Bahamas, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Singapore and Hong Kong.

He also advises on trust issues arising out of divorce and on claims concerning poor investment performance.

Cases on which James has acted include advising a number of discretionary beneficiaries of substantial Bermudian trusts on the validity of the appointment of trustees and protectors, corporate governance and other matters connected with the proposed restructuring of beneficial interests.

He has also advised charity trustees on a claim against investment advisers for negligence and a Hong Kong based beneficiary of trusts valued at many billions of pounds on various issues concerning the trustees and agreements with family members.

Career

James joined Stewarts in 2016 to head the firm’s contentious trusts and estates practice. Prior to this he trained at Farrer & Co where he became partner in 2005.

Professional Memberships

•The Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists

•The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)

•Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association

Publications

James has spoken at the following conferences:

-Informa Connect and ConTrA Trusts in Litigation Conferences 2019, 2020 and 2021: Co-Chair with Rachael Reynolds

- Private Client Global Elite Litigation Conference 2019 on Bermuda’s s.47 regime (with Jeremy Kosky and Jeffrey Elkinson)

- STEP Asia Conference 2019 on the development of reserved powers in trusts (with Elspeth Talbot Rice QC)

- STEP Cayman 2018, This House believes that trustee directions applications are a refuge for the cowardly

- STEP Asia Conference 2017, the Enforcement of foreign judgments at the intersection of inheritance and family law disputes

Personal

James is married with three children who usually keep him very busy at weekends. When he can, he sneaks off for a swim or bike ride.

Industry Sector Expertise

James specialises in handling complex, high-value and often high-profile litigation relating to private wealth matters, trust and succession in England and other leading trusts jurisdictions. He also has considerable expertise in handling other contentious issues, especially in cases involving fraud and asset tracing (particularly where trusts are involved) as well as advising on trust issues arising out of divorce.

James’s team won the UK Contentious Trusts & Estates Team of the Year award at both the 2021 and 2020 Chambers High Net Worth Awards.

Experience

Jurisdictions in which James has experience include Bermuda, Cayman, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Singapore, Hong Kong and the US. His recent matters include:

Representing one of the parties in what is considered to be the largest (by value) claim in Bermudian legal history which went to trial for 19 weeks during 2021;

Advising a number of discretionary beneficiaries of high value Bermudian trusts on the validity of the appointment of trustees and protectors, corporate governance and other matters connected with the proposed restructuring of beneficial interests;

Advising a Cayman structure on substantial claims brought against it by the Libyan Investment Authority;

Acting for an Italian beneficiary of Jersey trusts involved in a contested Public Trustee v Cooper application in the High Court in England and Wales; and

Advising the adult children of the principal beneficiary of very valuable trusts established in Gibraltar concerning a dispute as to beneficial interests.