James Wood

Practice Areas

James is an investment funds partner in Sydney. He has been lead sponsor counsel for some of the largest private equity fundraisings globally, and his experience includes advising on syndicate arrangements, private equity and credit fund establishment, investment in private equity funds, private equity secondaries and carried interest and co-investment arrangements.

Career

James Wood is an investment funds partner in Sydney who advises leading global private capital sponsors and institutional investors on complex, cross-border mandates. His practice focuses on private equity and private credit fund formation, GP-led secondaries and continuation vehicles, and the structuring of carried interest and co-investment arrangements, particularly where transactions involve multiple jurisdictions, regulators, and stakeholder groups.

James is recognised for combining technical precision with commercial judgment, helping clients navigate execution risk while delivering structures that are workable in market practice. He is frequently engaged as lead sponsor counsel on significant fundraisings and liquidity transactions, and is valued for his ability to anticipate issues early and drive matters through to completion.

Having spent many years practising in London, James brings a distinctly international perspective to his work and regularly leads multi-office teams across Asia-Pacific, the UK, Europe, and the US. He has advised sponsors and investors across a broad range of strategies, including private equity, private credit, real assets, and growth capital.

James has been ranked in Chambers Asia-Pacific for investment funds for five consecutive years and was named in Private Equity International’s “40 under 40: Future Leaders in Private Equity”.