About

James Wingfield specialises in litigation and international arbitration of commercial disputes, in particular those involving international contracts and trade, in addition to fraud and shareholder disputes.

James is a solicitor acting on the resolution of cross-border disputes involving international contracts in sectors including international trade, energy, retail and leisure, technology, crypto-assets, healthcare, and art.  He acts for UK-based clients, in addition to those in the US, Middle East, and Asia. 

James frequently acts in large-scale, international arbitrations, including those under the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) rules, in addition to bringing challenges to arbitral tribunals and awards before the English courts. 

James' international trade practice extends from extraction or production, through to transportation and shipping, storage, sale and payment.  

Meanwhile, his fraud practice includes advising on obtaining emergency freezing injunctions to prevent the transfer of assets. 

James also has expertise in financial services disputes, having acted in several leading cases against banks.  

He advises on art disputes, including those as to title, attribution and forgery. 

James is a higher courts advocate and has extensive experience of alternative dispute resolution, including mediation.

Recent work
  • Acting for a metals trader claiming damages for breach of contract in a Minor Metals Trade Association arbitration.
  • Acting for a Middle Eastern hospital, defending a $9m(US) ICC arbitration claim brought by the former operator of the hospital. 
  • Acting for a money services business, claiming damages against a bank for termination of the banking relationship without notice.  
  • Acting for an Asian national power purchaser, defending $105m(US) consolidated LCIA arbitration claims brought by nine independent power producers.
  • Acting for a US metals producer, defending a $190m(US) LCIA arbitration claim brought by a South African smelter and refiner, arising from a fall in the price of metal. 
  • Advising a manufacturer of Bitcoin mining equipment on a claim against a customer to recover an overpayment of Bitcoin. 
  • Acting for an art dealer defending a claim concerning the attribution of a work of an 18th-century French painter. 
  • Acting for an art dealer defending a claim concerning title to a work of a French neo-impressionist painter.
Accolades

  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, Legal 500 2024
  • "James Wingfield act[s] in major commercial disputes." Legal 500 2024
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, Legal 500 2022
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, Legal 500 2021
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Civil Fraud, Legal 500 2020

Did you know
James is a qualified yacht skipper.
London Bridge and The Shard at dusk.

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