International commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has further boosted its international arbitration practice with the hire of ex-Norton Rose Fulbright consultant, Jim James.

This latest appointment is part of the firm’s global strategy to build its presence in international arbitration and commercial litigation across the full range of business services, including corporate, financial services, banking, technology, construction, trade and commodities, energy and transportation.

To implement that strategy, the Hong Kong office has recently added three new disputes partners: Edward Liu (who is admitted in Mainland China, the UK and Hong Kong), Yvette Yu (formerly of Baker & McKenzie) and Richard Lyons, who was previously with King & Wood Mallesons before a period as general counsel for a leading construction contractor in the Middle East.

Richard Lyons is a construction arbitration specialist and, together with head of office Damien Laracy, Edward and Jim, will comprise the senior arbitration team in the Hong Kong office.

The arrival of Jim James in the firm’s Hong Kong office brings the firm’s team of litigation and arbitration lawyers in Hong Kong up to 15.

Jim takes up his position as consultant at Hill Dickinson as a highly regarded and vastly experienced dispute resolution lawyer, based in Hong Kong since 1983, with time spent working in Beijing, Shanghai, South Korea and Singapore.

Welcoming Jim to the team, Damien Laracy said: “Throughout 2020 we have continued to build our profile for commercial litigation and arbitration locally and internationally, attracting the attention of the market and increasing our arbitration work significantly. In the process, we have attracted a number of highly experienced disputes lawyers from other firms, significantly adding to our existing depth and breadth of experience. We’re delighted that Jim is now part of the team.”

With an international client base, Jim will also work closely with the firm’s Singapore and UK offices, ensuring a seamless approach to high value, complex matters involving multiple jurisdictions.

UK based international arbitration partner Adrian Jones, who joined Hill Dickinson in October 2020, said: “Our larger clients typically have business interests spread across the globe, so having experts on the ground in key strategic locations gives us excellent local knowledge as well as international reach. I’m looking forward to introducing Jim to our clients, and to meeting his, as we work to expand our non-marine arbitration practice.”

Jim James was admitted as a solicitor of England & Wales in 1977 and in Hong Kong in 1983. He is a panel arbitrator of the Beijing Arbitration Commission, CIETAC and CMAC, a mediator and past chairman of the Hong Kong Insurance Law Association. He is a qualified adjudicator under the Hong Kong Government’s Security of Payments Legislation.

He is ranked as a ‘Leading Individual Shipping Hong Kong’ in the Legal 500 and ranked in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners for Shipping Litigation in China.