James is regularly recommended for the quality of his legal analysis, his persuasive advocacy in court, the practicality of his advice, and his sensitive and responsive interaction with clients.
He is ranked by Legal 500 for both Private Client: Trusts and Probate and Property Litigation, and by Chambers & Partners and Chambers HNW for his Traditional Chancery practice. His inter-disciplinary expertise means that much of his work concerns disputes involving multiple areas of law. This is reflected in some of his recent reported decisions, which include: Gohil v Kumara [2023] EWHC 1809 (Ch), Abdelnoor v Barker [2022] EWHC 1468 (Ch),Ware v Ware [2021] EWHC 694 (Ch) and Fantini v Scrutton [2020] EWHC 1552 (Ch).
James’ busy practice spans a number of Chambers’ key practice areas, and particularly focuses on:
- Probate, inheritance and trust disputes, including 1975 Act claims, trustee/executor removal and TLATA claims;
- Landlord and Tenant issues, both residential and commercial, including pubs and licensed premises;
- Property, including covenants, easements, nuisance and boundary disputes;
- Court of Protection applications, particularly concerning Property and Affairs;
- Charity law, including advising charitable trustees and disputes over charity property; and
- Commercial and contractual disputes, including arbitrations and interim applications such as freezing injunctions.
James is a skilled and highly effective advocate, who appears regularly in the High Court and County Courts. He also has significant experience of offshore litigation, particularly in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
James is (with Sidney Ross) one of the authors of the Fifth Edition of Ross on Inheritance Act Claims.
Before coming to the Bar, James taught at secondary and tertiary level in England and Vanuatu, and is equally comfortable being instructed in both English and Bislama.
James is also a qualified and experienced mediator, and welcomes instructions as a mediator in any of the areas in which he practices.
Partnerships & LLPs
James has worked on a large number of Partnership and LLP disputes, acting for both firms and individual partners. His cases cover a wide range of areas, including solicitors’ firms, hedge funds, farms, and family investment partnerships.
Recent highlights include:
- Piquant Technologies LLP v Holloway: successfully represented the Claimant LLP its claim for repayment of sums owed to it by a former member of the LLP; after a three day trial the judge rejected the thirteen separate defences and awarded the Claimant the full sum claimed.
- Harris v Holland [2021] EWHC (Ch): acting on behalf of a former member of partnership in a dispute about the terms of the settlement agreement entered into following the dissolution of the partnership.
- Advising the directors of a company who engaged in four joint ventures relating to the development of residential and commercial properties, in a claim against the companies with whom they had entered the joint ventures.
- Acting on behalf of members of an online gambling syndicate who sought repayment of sums from a former member of the syndicate.
- Matters concerning expulsion and compulsory retirement (both in an advisory capacity and after disputes have arisen).
- Drafting and updating partnership and LLP agreements.
- Advising on the enforceability of restrictive covenants
- Disputes involving solicitors’ firms, hedge funds, medical practices, farms, and family investment partnerships.
Recommendations
Qualifications
- Bar Professional Training Course (Outstanding), City Law School (2016)
- Buchanan Prize, Lincoln’s Inn (2016)
- Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn (2016)
- Graduate Diploma in Law (Commendation), City Law School (2015)
- Hardwicke Award, Lincoln’s Inn (2015)
- Lord Bowen Scholarship, Lincoln’s In (2015)
- MA Modern History, University of Oxford (2009)
Publications
- “Persons Unknown”, New Law Journal, 21 November 2014 (with Tim Lawson-Cruttenden)
James Poole is a self-employed, independent barrister whose practice is regulated by the Bar Standards Board [Bar Council Ref 67708]. He is fully insured with the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund [BMIF Ref 2360/077] 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 278659634.