Band 4
Provided by James Ramsden KC
James Ramsden KC is Senior Partner at the special situations legal and professional services firm, Astraea (an Alternative Business Structure), which he co-founded in 2020.
James has an expansive international practice in the follow areas:
- commercial dispute resolution (litigation, mediation, arbitration)
- international enforcement
- regulatory and disciplinary law
- civil fraud
James is a trusted advisor to corporate, governmental, regulatory, family office and high net worth individual clients. He is panel counsel for the SRA/Law Society acting on complex, high-profile matters. He advises the FCA and ICAEW.
In all his work, and unlike barristers in traditional settings, James is able to leverage the multidisciplinary platform he has built at Astraea. This includes experienced solicitors, in-house intelligence and investigations capabilities, a range of language skills, and a Special Situations Advisory Panel, comprising seasoned experts across strategic communications, corporate strategy, public affairs and investigations.
James has particular expertise around digital assets and non-traditional finance, and has represented clients in a number of precedent setting cases in this area. He is a regular media commentator on regulation of non-traditional finance, as well as digital finance in the wider context of geopolitics and international security.
James was recognised by Chambers in 2025 as “ferociously clever and an excellent tactician” and “the person you want in your corner”.
James built an expansive international practice over 30 years in chambers, establishing himself as a leading commercial silk before co-founding Astraea with chartered tax accountant Nina Stewart in 2020. James now co-leads Astraea, advising a range of individual, corporate and regulatory clients, often planning and executing multidisciplinary strategies that combine legal advice with strategic counsel, intelligence and investigations.
James has advised in multiple jurisdictions: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, US, Russia, Ukraine, Iceland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Uruguay, Australia, BVI, Jersey and Isle of Man.
A highly experienced advocate, James has been admitted to the Bar in England and Wales, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI). James also acts as arbitrator and mediator.
James lectures widely on Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF), fraud and asset recovery. He is a regular conference keynote speaker and media commentator.
- Admitted to the Bar: England and Wales
- Admitted to the Bar of British Virgin Islands (full-time)
- Admitted to the Bars of Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Cayman Islands (Ad hoc)
- Commercial Bar Association
- Commercial Fraud Lawyers Association
- Association of Regulatory and Disciplinary Lawyers
- Chancery Bar Association
Author/contributing editor to Butterworths' Financial Regulation Service.
James has a longstanding commitment to Advocate (Bar Pro Bono charity) and was nominated Pro Bono Silk of the Year in 2021.
- Anatoli Stati & Ors
- Argentem Creek Partners
- Bitcoin Association & Ors
- BTC Core & Ors
- Innovatus Capital Partners
- Madison Pacific
- Molson Equipment Services Ltd
- Acting as global counsel for a group of international investors enforcing US$500 million investor-state arbitration award against the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Acting for the leading group of successful defendants in US$4.5 billion claim, Tulip Trading Ltd v Bitcoin Association for BSV & others [2022] EWHC 667 (Ch), one of the most important decisions so far in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.
- Acting for a defendant to a US$6million claim for unlawful means conspiracy and fraudulent misrepresentation and coordinating proceedings in relation to collateral criminal allegations in the United States in respect of an alleged US$1billion fraud.
- Business and Professional Services
James has a strong track record working with businesses and professional services firms on commercial disputes, civil fraud and regulatory compliance. James acts for multinationals on US, EU and UK sanctions, and regularly act for the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in relation to their prosecutions of regulated firms. James has also represented the Law Society, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg).
- Family Offices and High Net Worth
James has extensive experience working with high net worth individuals and/or their family offices with regard to commercial or inheritance disputes, asset tracing, enforcement and regulatory advice (including sanctions). As a firm, Astraea offers a wider set of private client services including estate planning, wills and inheritance advice.
- Energy and Utilities
James has worked with a number of clients in the energy sector with regard to commercial disputes and enforcement. James played a key role when Astraea acted as co-counsel in the enforcement of a $500 million arbitral award made in favour of energy sector investors against the Republic of Kazakhstan. The matter was settled in favour of the investors in 2024.
- Financial Investors
James works with a range of financial investors including international financial institutions, hedge funds and private equity. He was instructed by a large financial institution on the Malaysian Development Fund (1MDB) scandal involving the embezzlement and global diversion of USD 5.6 billion from the fund. He also advised on international tracing and enforcement in relation to a USD 1 billion Moldovan bank fraud. James has extensive experience offering legal advice to hedge funds investing in high risk, high yield litigation in emerging markets.
- Technology, Media and Telecoms
James is a leading expert on the regulation of digital assets and the use of digital currencies. He has acted in numerous disputes involving digital assets including sector-defining cases, such as Tulip Trading Ltd v Bitcoin Association for BSV & Others. James obtained the first UK freezing order over digital currency assets and was involved in the case in which these assets were established as property, rather than a “chose in action”, which has set a legal precedent for the sector.
Aside from England and Wales, James has been admitted to the bar in Gibraltar, BVI and the Cayman Islands. James advises on commercial matters globally, including acting as global counsel on complex matters involving multiple foreign law firms.
At Astraea, he and his team have developed particular expertise in matters relating to Russia and the Eurasian region, including strategy and enforcement in sovereign state-investor disputes.
English, Conversational French
Over 30 years at the commercial bar
Leicester University
Bachelor of Laws
1983 - 1986
Provided by Chambers
James Ramsden KC is adept at handling an array of professional discipline cases. He has notable experience advising the SRA on complex and high-profile matters, as well as other regulators including the FCA and the ICAEW.
Provided by Chambers
James Ramsden is ferociously clever and an excellent tactician. He's the person you want in your corner.
James Ramsden is ferociously clever and an excellent tactician. He's the person you want in your corner.
Provided by Astraea
Family Offices and High Net Worth
Business and Professional Services
Financial Investors
Energy and Utilities
Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT)