Expertise

James focuses on commercial and financial disputes. He often represents policyholders in connection with:

  • Claims against directors and officers of companies
  • Corporate legal liability claims against companies
  • Warranty and indemnity insurance claims arising out of a corporate transaction
  • Cyber and commercial crime claims
  • Business interruption claims following damage to property, pandemics, or cyber attacks
  • Claims arising out of insolvent estates.

In the past five years, James has handled the leading business interruption litigation in England and Wales. He has applied his expertise to assist distressed businesses and/or the advisory teams assisting those businesses and been asked to deliver talks on these issues.

Experience

  • Currently representing Arena Racing Corporation Ltd in a case going to the Supreme Court in relation to its multi-million-pound Covid-19 business interruption claim. The Supreme Court appeal is in relation to the treatment of ‘furlough’ payments, which is an issue said to be worth around £70bn to the UK Treasury. James’s clients succeeded on other issues at first instance and the Court of Appeal.
  • James has represented various other high-profile businesses in relation to Covid-19 litigation, including Stonegate Pub Company in its £1.1bn claim and Liberty Retail Group (Liberty of London department store), among numerous others.
  • Representing asset managers in relation to warranty and indemnity insurance claims arising out of acquisitions.
  • Successfully represented FTSE-listed companies in relation to a financial crime dispute. Currently advising other asset managers in relation to similar issues.
  • Represented ultra-high-profile fund managers, private equity firms, directors and officers, and various others, in relation to claims arising out of allegations of tax investigations, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and more.
  • Represented large multi-national energy companies in relation to political risk claims following the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Recognition

James has been ranked by The Legal 500 and Chambers for the past three years as a Rising Star and Up and Coming Partner.

  • “He is always very impressive in front of clients. He leaves them with a deserved confidence that they are in safe hands.”
  • “James is easy to work with, pragmatic and clear, and he produces great results.”
  • “There aren’t many in James’s generation who have as good a grounding when acting for insureds in high-value coverage disputes. He is a rising star, and I would highly recommend him.”
  • “James is excellent. He provides very clear communication and a very high quality of written output.”
  • “James Breese at Stewarts was able to secure insurance coverage in circumstances where we, frankly, had little hope of cover. It was a great result.”

Career

James started his career at RadcliffesLeBrasseur (now Weightmans) before moving to Clyde & Co, where he represented insurers.

Since 2018, James has been representing policyholders exclusively, focusing on commercial and financial disputes.

James joined Stewarts in 2022 to help establish the Policyholder Disputes team and was promoted to partner in 2024.

Publications and Media

Personal

In an early embrace of the mid-life crisis, James has taken up golf and snowboarding. The former now takes up a remarkable amount of time with no reward. When not kidding himself on a sporting level, James enjoys DJing to an audience of one in his garden bar. The audience being his patient French Bulldog, Walter.

Recent policyholder disputes news

See all