James is counsel/mariner in Reed Smith’s London office practising in admiralty law and dealing with disputes arising out of all types of marine casualty. James acts primarily for ship owners, charterers, managers, and insurers based regionally and internationally. He has investigated and handled a wide range of incidents (over 65 in total) including collisions, groundings, total / constructive loss, pollution, salvage, cargo damage, dangerous cargo, heavy weather damage, unsafe ports, death, personal injury, and damage to main engines / machinery. James also deals with marine issues arising from compliance with international convention or regulation, flag state or port control regulation, and the ISM regime. Prior to becoming a lawyer, James spent 7 years at sea serving as a deck officer with Shell on LNG and oil tankers, and then came ashore with the same company as an assistant operations superintendent of their LNG fleet.