James is a Chancery barrister specialising in trusts and estates, inheritance disputes and private client taxation. His broader practice encompasses charities, Court of Protection work, property rights and professional negligence claims. He enjoys a mixture of litigation and non-contentious advisory work. He appears frequently in the High Court, has appeared as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and has been instructed in a range of offshore cases in Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda and the Bahamas.
In the legal directories he is variously described as “super bright”, “conscientious”, “approachable” with “excellent technical skills” and as “a junior with an impressive mind, whose knowledge base in trusts is superb for one of his call.”
Before coming to the Bar, James worked as an assistant editor at the Daily Telegraph.
Ranked in Band 1 for Trusts and Band 4 in Chancery: Traditional in Chambers UK 2022.
James is a Chancery barrister specialising in trusts and estates, inheritance disputes and private client taxation. His broader practice encompasses charities, Court of Protection work, property rights and professional negligence claims. He enjoys a mixture of litigation and non-contentious advisory work. He appears frequently in the High Court, has appeared as junior counsel in the Court of Appeal and has been instructed in a range of offshore cases in Jersey, Guernsey, Bermuda and the Bahamas.
In the legal directories he is variously described as “super bright”, “conscientious”, “approachable” with “excellent technical skills” and as “a junior with an impressive mind, whose knowledge base in trusts is superb for one of his call.”
Before coming to the Bar, James worked as an assistant editor at the Daily Telegraph.
Ranked in Band 1 for Trusts and Band 4 in Chancery: Traditional in Chambers UK 2022.
Recommendations
Qualifications
- Bar Professional Training Course (Outstanding), College of Law (2011)
- Graduate Diploma in Law (Commendation), College of Law (2010)
- BA (First Class), University of York (2009)
Associations & Memberships
- Chancery Bar Association
- Court of Protection Bar Association
Publications
James is an author of Williams on Wills (10th ed.)
Published articles:
- Dawson-Damer v Taylor Wessing: The practical implications, March 2017
- “Changes to the UK taxation of non-doms“, Lawskills, December 2016
- “Long arm of the law: the English court’s power to vary foreign trusts”, Trusts and Trustees
- “Standing on thin ice: court applications by trust protectors“, Lawskills, April 2016
- “Crociani: the proper forum for trust disputes”, Journal of International Tax, Trust and Corporate Planning, 2015, Vol 22, Issue 2
- “Have you made a serious mistake”, Lawskills, August 2015
- “The bell is tolling for pilot trusts”, Lawskills, March 2015
- “Can the proceeds of a life insurance policy be clawed back in 1975 Act Claims?”, Lawskills, October 2014
Speaking Engagements
James regularly delivers talks (in seminars and webinars) on a wide range of topics relating to his core practice areas.
Awards
- Hardwicke Award, Lincoln’s Inn (2010)
- Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn (2011)
James MacDougald is a self-employed, independent barrister whose practice is governed by the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales. He is regulated by The Bar Standards Board [Bar Ref 22569] and is fully insured with the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund [BMIF Ref 2360/071] to provide legal services, please refer to the BMIF website for full details of the world-wide cover provided. He is registered for VAT under the reference 170343630.
