James is a chartered accountant and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Based in London, he leads a team of over 40 full time forensic accountants at Mazars in the UK. Mazars’ forensic accounting team specialise in the provision of expert witness services related to the quantum aspects of disputes, accounting and auditing investigations, and in high profile fraud, corruption and bribery investigations.
James has been instructed as an independent expert accountant on numerous disputes involving the quantification of loss caused by, for example, breach of contract, misrepresentation, reliance on inappropriately prepared financial records or accounts, and breaches of competition regulation. He is a valuation expert whose opinions have withstood rigorous cross-examination in state-versus-state disputes and investment treaty arbitrations, and international arbitrations, as well as before the UK High Court and the First-Tier Tax Tribunal in the UK. He has also been required to give evidence “hot tubbing”. He has been cross examined in London, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and The Hague.
James also undertakes a number of significant investigations in the context of fraud, bribery and corruption, and insider trading. In these areas he has provided his expertise in respect of investigations undertaken by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Serious Fraud Office in the UK, and the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US.