Recommendations

James is recommended in Chambers and Partners and in Legal 500 where comments include:

• absolutely first class
• an exceptionally thorough advocate
• admired for his charm and reliability
• a man with a great eye for detail

Practice

James Cross has an extensive and wide-ranging commercial practice with particular expertise in:

• Professional negligence
• Construction and engineering
• Insurance
• Product liability

He has considerable experience of litigation, arbitration, adjudication and mediation.

Professional Negligence

James's professional liability practice involves acting both for and against professionals and covers all the major professions including solicitors, surveyors and valuers, insurance brokers, accountants and the medical profession. His particular focus, however, is construction industry professionals including architects, claims consultants, mechanical services and structural engineers and quantity surveyors.

Recent reported cases in which he has appeared include: Linden Homes South East Limited v LBH Wembley Ltd, Luke v Kingsley Smith (A firm), Barclays Bank PLC v Martin & Mortimer.

Construction and engineering

James's construction and engineering practice covers all aspects of building contract claims and disputes whether in adjudication, arbitration or litigation. He acts for employers, contractors and sub-contractors. He is familiar with most of the principal standard forms of Building Contract (particularly the ICE Conditions) and has considerable experience of contractors' claims for extensions of time as a result of delay and disturbance and for additional payment by way of loss and expense.

Insurance

James's insurance practice involves acting for many of the largest national and international insurance companies and underwriters. He regularly advises insurers on matters of policy wording and interpretation (both in contentious and non-contentious contexts) and on issues of non-disclosure, misrepresentation and fraud. He regularly represents insurers in litigation whether when themselves pursuing claims for declaratory relief or the recovery of monies already paid under policies; or when themselves defending claims made against them by the insured for indemnification.

He has particular expertise in contractors' all risks cover, motor insurance, permanent health insurance, property insurance, product liability policies and public liability cover.

Product liability

James's product liability practice covers all aspects of product liability, whether in contract, tort or under statute, and frequently requires James to advise and act on conflict of laws issues (especially questions of jurisdiction and proper law) where products have been manufactured or supplied from overseas.

Other Areas

James has considerable experience of a wide variety of commercial contracts and of general claims in tort and contract, especially those involving environmental nuisance and claims for property damage caused by trees.

Qualifications

MA (Oxon) Jurisprudence

Other experience

Lecturer in Law at Magdalen College, Oxford, 1985 - 1988

ADR

TECBAR approved Adjudicator
Considerable experience of mediation and appearances as an advocate in numerous mediations over many years

Public Access

Qualified to undertake Public Access work

This is a summary of James Cross' CV. Please contact the clerks for a full version.