James Barry

Principal Associate

+441223222451

+447586980178

photo for James Barry

What can I do for you

James is an experienced litigator, with nearly a decade of representing public bodies at all levels of the judicial system, including the UK Supreme Court. James has successfully defended government decision making in broad areas of policy including energy, education, passports, planning, conservation and wildlife and large-scale infrastructure projects.

James also has considerable experience in public inquiries having represented government departments and public bodies before the Grenfell Inquiry, the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and the UK Covid Inquiry.
 

What do others say

“I wouldn’t want to be judicially reviewed again, but if I was, I would want to be represented by James.

Thank you for all your hard work, James. Week in, week out you were immense.”

Supporting your ambitions

James takes a strategic, risk-based approach to litigation, based on the client’s goals and expectations. He understands that clients want clear advice early on about where they stand so that they can take informed decisions about what to do next. Sometimes that can mean taking a pragmatic approach and reaching a compromise, or it can mean challenging on principle.

As a former senior government lawyer, James has an in-depth understanding of how the civil service and Whitehall works. This knowledge allows James to tailor his advice to reflect the particular environment and needs of clients.


 

What else should you know?

James has a doctorate in law from the University of London and taught undergraduates contract and criminal law prior to qualification. He retains a keen interest in legal training and has delivered successful programmes to clients and colleagues.

James has worked in a variety of jurisdictions, including the US and Greece. He speaks modern Greek at an intermediate level.

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What our clients say about us

“I think Mills & Reeve are a wonderful firm. The support they have provided to us in a really difficult area has been brilliant, collaborative and commercially minded. The team were absolutely wonderful and a joy to work with. Amazing advice and support and a real collaborative effort with us. I can't thank them enough for getting us through some really tough times and doing so with an amazing can-do attitude.”

“They are friendly, fast, always available and always on top of the game. I tend to judge my legal team against the other side's legal team and never doubt Mills & Reeve is the better of the two.”

“All interactions have been very clear. Responses to questions have always been very swift and unambiguous. Our company, and my family, have used various services in Mills & Reeve with the same level of satisfaction.”

“I value the fact that Mills & Reeve are recognised as a good place to work in the UK Best Companies survey. This aligns with the values of our business and means that Mills & Reeve can share what is required to achieve this status with our business.”

As many clients will testify, too many lawyers deliver the required legal expertise but fail to deliver an outstanding client experience. Which is why we always listen to our clients and constantly ask ourselves what we can do to deliver the results you expect.

You expect a close and attentive working relationship, with a lawyer that is responsive and available when you need them. You also want clear, pragmatic and commercial advice tailored to your needs, and transparency and certainty on costs. We completely agree. That’s why every day, through our culture and approach we are committed to delivering the exceptional results and service our clients expect of us.

Related sectors and services

  • Alternative dispute resolution
  • Businesses
  • Contract disputes
  • Education
  • Health and care regulation
  • Information law, data protection and privacy
  • Injunctions
  • Judicial review
  • Litigation and arbitration
  • Procurement disputes
  • Public inquiries and investigations
  • Public law

Contact James