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James Wingfield is outstanding. He is very knowledgeable in this area, unflappable, gives pragmatic, commercial advice and clients like working with him.

LEGAL 500 2025
About

James Wingfield specialises in resolving commercial disputes, often international, whether through litigation or international arbitration.

James acts extensively in cross-border contract claims, including those in the energy, international trade, financial services and art and cultural property sectors. He advises on shareholder disputes and on claims against directors for breach of duty.

His fraud and asset tracing practice includes significant disputes over allegedly fraudulent conduct and advising on freezing orders and other interim relief.

James' art and cultural property practice includes acting for art dealers and artists. He recently successfully defended a London art dealer against high-profile allegations of negligence in the sale of a Chardin and Studio painting. He acts on claims concerning title to artworks and those arising from forgeries.

He has expertise in financial services disputes, having acted in leading cases against banks and for FCA regulated payment providers.

James is a higher courts advocate. He has extensive experience of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Recent work

  • Acting for a German industrial group and their UK subsidiary in £300m claims against three former directors and thereby insurers for breach of their Companies Act duties, including negligence, on three significant, loss-making UK waste to energy power station projects.
  • Acting for an Authorised Electronic Money Institution providing foreign exchange and payment services, defending a EUR 21m claim commenced by the liquidator of an Irish company alleging dishonest assistance in breach of fiduciary duty.
  • Acting for an Authorised Payment Institution bringing a stakeholder claim over a fund of SGD 2.6m claimed by investors in Singapore and China.
  • Acting for London art dealers successfully defending a £10m negligence claim concerning the sale of a Chardin and Studio painting.
  • Acting for London art dealers defending a USD 4.8m claim concerning title to a Signac painting, where the sale proceeds were stolen by an agent for the other side of the transaction.
  • Acting for a New York merchant bank in a £1.7m claim against a Polish real estate group for a success fee arising from obtaining financing.

Accolades

  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, Legal 500 2024
  • "James Wingfield act[s] in major commercial disputes." Legal 500 2024
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, Legal 500 2022
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Dispute Resolution: Commercial Litigation: Mid-Market, Legal 500 2021
  • Listed as Key Lawyer, Civil Fraud, Legal 500 2020

Did you know
James is a qualified yacht skipper.
London Bridge and The Shard at dusk.

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