James Ayliffe QC

Commercial CV

James acts on a wide range of commercial disputes. 

Whilst the breadth of his expertise enables him to deal with most business disputes, his chancery background makes him particularly suited to cases involving companies, securities, finance, insolvency, real property, and trust or fiduciary relationships.

He is currently recommended in Chambers & Partners for both commercial dispute resolution and also commercial Chancery work.  

Some representative cases include:-

• representing defendant facing substantial claim arising out of losses allegedly suffered in respect of PPP/PFI project;
• acting on dispute between Russian partners in joint venture for development of business selling agricultural equipment in CIS;
• acting for printing company defending multi-million pound arbitration claim by government agency for losses arising from failure to protect confidential material from theft by third parties;
• acting for one partner in joint venture on £10 million claim against another partner for recovery of secret profit;
• acting for corporate investment vehicle for the investment of Euro 60 million in development of shopping malls in Eastern Europe in relation to multi-million pound claim by one of investors;
• acting for defendant to £50m claim arising out of operation of corporate Ponzi scheme;
• acting on dispute arising out of joint venture for establishment of private jet hire business;
• acting on dispute between investors arising out of re-structuring of corporate vehicle for development and sale of services to the private equity industry;
• advising on issues arising out of high-profile dispute between Russian oligarchs involving challenges to validity of trust and nominee arrangements;
• advising in relation to alleged misappropriation of Ukrainian media interests and enforcement of US judgment against Cypriot company (owned by Channel Islands trust) to which such interests had been transferred;
• advising provider of share and bond trading services in multi-million pound dispute with IT suppliers;
• advising local authority in multi-million pound dispute with service provider to whom it had outsourced health services;
• acting for notorious trader facing claim for recovery of £20m of AIM-listed company shares;
• acting for international financial services group facing £20m claim for alleged fraudulent misrepresentation in relation to sale of South American insurance business to US private equity group;
• advising well-known supermarket chain regarding claims arising out of disposal of portfolio of assets;
• advising manufacturer of street cleaning vehicles regarding claim against company responsible for cleaning of London boroughs;
• acting for major European car parts distributor in claim against former directors/employees who had set up competing company.