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James joined Collas Crill in January 2024. He is an English barrister and Jersey Advocate and has a busy practice with a particular focus on contentious and non-contentious trust work. 

Experience

James advises and undertakes drafting work, acting for beneficiaries, trustees and other power-holders in relation to:

  • breach of trust claims, asset tracing/recovery and claims for secondary liability against accessories
  • issues concerning trust administration, the appointment and removal of trustees and the exercise of powers
  • applications to court for directions, the variation and rectification of trusts and the disclosure of information to beneficiaries and third parties
  • jurisdiction disputes and the enforcement of foreign judgments against trustees and beneficiaries
  • issues concerning trustees’ rights of indemnity, fees and legal cost

James also advises in relation to a broad range of contentious commercial and company law disputes.

He was named as a Next Generation Partner in Legal 500 UK 2026 and is ranked in both the UK and Global editions of the Chambers and Partners legal directories. James was also listed by eprivateclient in the 2024 Crown Dependencies NextGen Leaders list

Memberships

  • Association of Contentious Trust & Estate Practitioners (ACTAPS)
  • Contentious Trust Association (Contra)
  • Chancery Bar Association
  • Trust Law Working Committee of Jersey Finance that considers amendments to the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984.

 

Chambers Ranking In UK EPC: Crown Dependencies Next Gen Leader

Expertise

We represent beneficiaries, high-net-worth individuals, trustees, protectors and other power holders in a range of contentious and semi-contentious situations. Our lawyers have been at the forefront of the most complex, high-value private wealth litigation offshore. 

We often deal with novel points of law, creating new and innovative solutions to meet the needs of our clients.

Given the international nature of private wealth, with clients and their assets spread across the world, we work as a joined-up global team so that our clients can benefit from the knowledge and experience wherever they may need it.

With offices in Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, our contentious private wealth lawyers combine courtroom skill with discreet client care, advising on jurisdictional strategy, interim relief and complex equitable claims.

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In a climate of increased transparency for structures, it is important for trustees to ensure that they have sufficient policies, procedures and processes in place in order to report the correct data to the correct authority at the correct time. This has been particularly challenging for some of our smaller independent trustee clients who do not have a dedicated compliance team.

Alongside companies and wills, family trusts are still a very popular tool for estate planning and asset protection – perhaps even more so in the light of the envisaged changes to the UK non-domiciled regime. Family foundations are proving to be a popular new tool for families looking to ensure their wealth and assets are protected for future generations. We establish trusts and foundations for local and international families to preserve family businesses and ensure appropriate succession planning. We work closely with tax advisers in order to ensure that any new family trust or foundation fits with a family's overall tax position and will be a workable long term, cost efficient structure. Discretionary trusts are still the most popular but we can also advise on fixed trusts, will trusts and pension trusts.

As the global legal and regulatory landscape becomes ever more complex, managing wealth across generations, succession planning and transferring control of assets has never been more challenging. That's why it's important to work with lawyers who can offer solutions that are tailored to your unique circumstances.

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We live in an increasingly contentious world. When your business is involved in any kind of legal dispute it's crucial to work with lawyers who are hands-on, cost-effective and flexible enough to respond quickly and intuitively to your unique situation and needs.

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We are used to working as part of a multi-jurisdictional team, capable of reacting and responding quickly to urgent requests for assistance with locating and freezing assets.

As sophisticated defendants become more adept at dissipating assets, we've been involved in cases that created new law in the Channel Islands in relation to a party's ability to trace assets and recover their losses. With their ability to deal with complex issues, the team deliver clear, commercial advice on the availability and likely success of recovery methods.

With specialists across not only Guernsey and Jersey but also in the British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands, services provided by our fraud and asset tracing lawyers include:

  • Immediate applications for freezing and search orders
  • Expedited Norwich Pharmacal order and disclosure proceedings
  • Asset-tracing across trust structures and corporate vehicles
  • Coordination with criminal and regulatory investigations where overlap exists. 

Our international footprint lets us deliver prompt, all‑round legal support precisely when clients need it most.

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News and insights

Trusts in transition: Adapting private wealth structures for the modern world

The way trusts are drafted, in terms of their clarity and use of everyday language, has improved immeasurably over the decades. The apparent allergy that ...

Insight 07/05/2026
  • Jersey
  • Guernsey
  • Cayman
  • BVI
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Mind the gap: Why the wider role prevails for protectors

On 19 March 2026, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ('JCPC') delivered its judgment in A and Ors (Appellants) v C and others (Respondents) [2026...

Insight 26/03/2026
  • Bermuda
  • Jersey
  • BVI
  • Cayman
  • Guernsey
Read now

Defining children and descendants properly in Jersey and Guernsey law trusts

Who is to be treated as a child for the purpose of construing how an offshore trust or will is supposed to operate? This is a deceptively simple question ...

Insight 23/03/2026
  • Jersey
  • Guernsey
Read now

A practical guide to trustee blessing applications for 'momentous' decisions

This briefing note is intended for trustees who are interested in trustee blessing applications (often arising in contentious or high-stakes trustee decis...

Insight 05/02/2026
  • Jersey
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Varying trusts in Jersey

Jersey is one of the world’s leading jurisdictions in which to establish and manage private wealth through trusts. While many modern trusts include powers...

Insight 04/02/2026
  • Jersey
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Trusts Jersey Law: Once, twice…eighth time amended

The States of Jersey has amended the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984 (TJL) for an eighth time.[1] The legislation has gone to the Privy Council for approval and ...

Insight 17/12/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Family asset protection: Divorce, finance and the media

Collas Crill has contributed to The Global Legal Post's second edition of the Law Over Borders Comparative Guide to Family Asset Protection. The publictio...

Insight 12/11/2025
  • Cayman
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey
Read now

Strong rankings maintained in Chambers UK Guide 2026

Collas Crill's Guernsey and Jersey teams have upheld the firm's rankings across all practice areas in the 2026 Chambers UK Guide, including the Guernsey p...

News 16/10/2025
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey
Read now

Challenges to (in)adequate deliberation after Dawson-Damer – a reminder for trustees

Dawson-Damer – an introduction In a landmark decision of the Privy Council, Ashley Dawson-Damer v Grampian Trust Company Ltd [2025] UKPC 32 (Dawson-Damer)...

Insight 01/09/2025
  • Jersey
  • Guernsey
Read now

Offshore 'lifeboat' trusts for US persons

In recent months we have seen growing demand in the Channel Islands from Ultra High Net Worth US families and their advisors who are interested in establi...

Insight 30/07/2025
  • Jersey
  • Cayman
  • Guernsey
  • BVI
Read now

Trust briefing: Challenges to trustee decisions

It is often thought that a discretionary decision made by a trustee is difficult or sometimes even impossible to challenge. However there are many differe...

Insight 03/07/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Trust briefing: When the child was a child

The beneficial class in many Jersey discretionary trusts will often be defined by reference to the relationship of 'children or remoter issue of X'. 'X' m...

Insight 20/06/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Trust briefing: Breach of trust

Jersey trust law is principally governed by the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984 (the TJL). In a number of important areas, Jersey trust law has developed in a di...

Insight 05/06/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Trust briefing: Removing a trustee

The removal of a trustee is a significant action that can have far-reaching implications for the administration of a trust. Jersey law provides a clear fr...

Insight 22/05/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Trust briefing: Setting aside transactions involving Jersey trusts

In response to a fast-changing and unpredictable world, important decisions about how best to structure and shelter private wealth can sometimes be forced...

Insight 08/05/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Trust briefing: Protectors in a Jersey trust

Jersey trusts are a popular and flexible vehicle for asset protection, estate planning, and wealth management for ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families acr...

Guide 24/04/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Disclosure of information and documents to beneficiaries under Jersey law

Jersey is widely recognised as a trusted jurisdiction by UHNW/HNW families for the establishment of trusts due to its robust, well-developed legal system,...

Guide 10/04/2025
  • Jersey
Read now

Offshore trust disputes 2024: The year that was

This article was first published in issue 18 of ThoughtLeaders4's Private Client magazine. 2024 was another lively year for offshore and onshore contentio...

Insight 26/03/2025
  • Jersey
  • Guernsey
  • Cayman
Read now

Sustained success for Collas Crill's private client team

Collas Crill has received a string of accolades for its Private Client and Trusts (PCT) team this year, reinforcing its position as a leader in the offsho...

News 18/11/2024
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey
  • Cayman
Read now

Collas Crill builds on strong rankings in 2025 Chambers UK Guide

Collas Crill's Guernsey and Jersey teams have upheld the firm's rankings across all practice areas in the 2025 Chambers UK Guide, with a notable promotion...

News 18/10/2024
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey
Read now

Eprivateclient recognises top talent

Eprivateclient has recognised some of Collas Crill's top talent in its Crown Dependencies NextGen Leaders 2024 list. Ben Havard, James Sheedy and Emma Tay...

Life and careers 29/06/2024
  • Guernsey
  • Jersey
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Worldwide enforcement effort

On 18 January 2021, the Royal Court of Jersey handed down a judgment which materially contributes to the use of court-appointed receiverships in the Islan...

Insight 25/01/2021
  • Jersey
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Trusts on tour: Jurisdiction clauses in trust instruments

Copyright in this article vests in the Jersey and Guernsey Law Review. It was published in the October 2015 edition of that publication and is reproduced ...

Guide 10/12/2015
  • Jersey
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Sham trusts

A substantive sham is where the terms of a trust appear to create equitable rights in others, but in fact the terms do not represent the true terms. Subst...

Guide 20/10/2015
  • Jersey
Read now