James Angus

James is an experienced disputes lawyer and courtroom advocate. He advises, and represents in court, many of the leading trust companies and financial institutions in Jersey. A seasoned litigator in commercial and chancery matters, James has particular specialisms in contentious cross-border estates work and in cross-border insolvency/restructuring and is part of Ogier's multi-disciplinary restructuring and insolvency team. James is one of the UK's and Channel Islands' Top 35 Under 35 (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Background and experience

James advises and represents both institutional and individual clients in complex commercial and chancery matters. He has appeared in some of the largest pieces of litigation in Jersey in the past 10 years. James's expertise encompasses contentious trusts work, including actions for and against professional trustees, high-value shareholder disputes (and particularly the unfair prejudice regime), as well as proceedings brought by and against directors of Jersey companies. 

In the insolvency and restructuring arena, James regularly appears for foreign (and local) insolvency practitioners and creditors in recognition and enforcement matters in Jersey, including complex asset recovery in corporate insolvencies. James has particular expertise as an advocate in Jersey schemes of arrangement (both shareholder and creditor) and has represented clients in a number of prominent schemes, including the two largest schemes of arrangement in Jersey history: Randgold Resources Limited's merger with Barrick Gold Corporation and Takeda Pharmaceutical's acquisition of Shire plc. 

James regularly represents trustees in contentious trust law matters and applications under the Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984, including providing advice to trustees in respect of their duties in a cross-border context.  In this area, his work at Ogier has included advising and appearing for clients in Court regarding:

• Hastings-Bass and mistake applications;
• Article 51 Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984 - blessing applications for momentous trustee decisions;
• Article 47 Trusts (Jersey) Law 1984 - applications to vary trusts;
• applications in relation to foreign proceedings impinging on Jersey trusts.

Since 2018, James has accepted instructions as external counsel to the newly formed Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit. In addition to that role, James also regularly advises private clients on regulatory and compliance related matters.

James read Classics with Linguistics as a Foundation Scholar at Queens' College, Cambridge. He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2012, to the Jersey Bar in 2015 and the Cayman Islands Bar in 2016. 

Admitted in:
2012 - England and Wales (non-practising)
2015 - Jersey
2016 - Cayman Islands