James Puzey

James is a vastly experienced and sought-after advocate who has achieved widespread recognition in his fields of expertise, namely, health and safety, environmental and revenue enforcement cases. He is primarily a trial lawyer who relishes complex and demanding regulatory and revenue cases. James’ current environmental cases concern large scale water or air pollution issues involving statutory undertakings and large businesses. His health and safety work predominantly concerns fatalities across a spectrum of industries, involving significant corporate bodies. In these cases James is equally comfortable acting for the prosecution or defence and often appears against leading counsel.

He is also, however, an experienced appellate advocate, having appeared in many significant and legally important cases, including recently R v Exolum Ltd [2024] EWCA Crim 947, Elphysic & others v HMRC [2025] UKUT 236 and Anglia Ruskin Students Union v HMRC [2025] EWHC 296 (admin).

In a relatively unusual double James is both a member of the ‘A’ list of the Panel of Specialist Regulatory Advocates and an ‘A’ list member of the Attorney-General’s Civil Panel of Counsel.

James has extensive experience and knowledge of coronial law which is utilised in his inquest practice where he appears for a wide range of interested persons at inquests, including insurers, the Health and Safety Executive, other statutory bodies, corporate clients and local authorities. James sits as an assistant coroner in Worcestershire. He is a member of the Health and Safety Lawyers Association.