James’s particular speciality is civil fraud in the context of private law chancery and commercial litigation. This includes both the relatively rare cases where fraud needs to be alleged explicitly and the commoner cases where there is a substantial element of dishonesty (or at least conduct of questionable probity), but where the appropriate legal remedy does not lie in a claim in which fraud must be proved, as well as advising as to which of the two categories that any given case falls into.

James is the author of the entries in Westlaw’s Insight encyclopedia on the tort of deceit and fraudulent misrepresentation, dishonest assistance and knowing receipt.

James also undertakes work in the broader field of chancery and commercial litigation, including contentious probate, real property, landlord and tenant, art and luxury assets and commercial contract.

James is also an advocacy trainer for the Middle Temple and also teaches on the South-Eastern Circuit's advanced advocacy course at Keble College, Oxford as well as having responsibility for civil advocacy training in chambers. James is involved in producing and setting the standard for questions in the civil litigation component of the Bar Professional Training Course.