Speaker details

Biography

James is an attorney and licensed architect. His practice involves contentious, transactional, and anti-corruption matters for international organizations, sovereigns, and private clients. James leads his firm’s International Organizations and Foreign Sovereigns team. In many cases, James litigates significant cases of first impression regarding the immunities of international organizations, complex engineering and construction matters, and corporate disputes, including trials, arbitrations, and appellate work. His International Organizations practice includes the representation of those organizations in conducting their affairs, while protecting their unique privileges and immunities set by their charters, articles of agreement, the International Organizations Immunities Act, or other sources of law as may be applicable. He deals with anti-corruption matters and compliance for IOs. In his construction practice, James represents private owners, contractors, and international entities in contentious and non-contentions matters involving government and private design and construction projects. The 2016 Chambers USA guide describes him as "very well versed in construction law and construction-related issues." His work includes drafting and negotiating construction contracts and procurement documents, such as RFPs, for design, construction, EPC, Alliance/Integrated Project Delivery, design-build services; providing advice during the design phase and during the contractor’s preconstruction services; and providing analysis and advice on the preparation, prosecution, and defense of claims during the construction phase. On the contentious side, James leads his clients through mediation, arbitration, or litigation of complex claims involving design and construction issues. James’ work includes the headquarters of international organizations, embassies, power (generation and distribution), mixed-use, plant and distribution facilities, buildings, transportation (airports, highways, rail), laboratories, hospitals, hotels, and resorts. James is an adjunct professor and a member of the Construction Industry Advisory Board of Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction, where he teaches the certificate program on construction risk management and courses in the custom solutions program (https://www.cpe.vt.edu/mlsoc/instructors.html). James teaches many construction law courses including the Masters Institute in Construction Contracting offered by Federal Publications. He also teaches Federal Publications’ 14-part construction law webinar series: Construction Contracts and Risk Management. Other courses he has taught for Federal Publications include, Practical Construction Law, the Concentrated Course in Construction Contracts, Bonds, Liens and Insurance, Negotiation, Government Construction Contracts, Changes and Claims, FIDIC Contract Claims, and Prosecution of Government Contract Claims.