James MacDonald Call 2005; BA(Hons)(Oxon)(double first); MA (King's College London); CPE, BPP Law School (distinction) E-mail: jmacdonald@3vb.com

Practice

James practices a wide range of commercial work. Since becoming a tenant at 3VB, James has been instructed in a series of high profile Commercial and Chancery Court cases.

James is also instructed to act as advocate in interlocutory applications in the High Court and County Court and in trials in the County Court.

Banking

• 2007: JP Morgan v Springwell (Comm Court, Gloster J). Acting for JP Morgan. Claim of c. $700m for alleged negligent advice and misrepresentation in relation to the sale of various Russian bonds and pass-through notes. 68-day trial, judgment awaited. Part of a four counsel team including Adrian Beltrami and Catherine Gibaud.



• August-September 2006: secondment at Barclays Bank litigation department, working on issues arising from the OFT report on credit card charges as well as other advisory work.

Commercial

• 2006: Donegal International Ltd v Republic of Zambia & Anr [2007] EWHC 197 (Comm) (Andrew Smith J). Acting for the Republic of Zambia. Claim for c. $55m in relation to a settlement agreement entered into between Zambia and a so-called "vulture" fund, which had purchased Zambian sovereign debt on the secondary debt market. Part of a five counsel team including William Blair QC and James Evans.

Commercial Fraud

• 2006-7: Attorney General of Zambia v MCD & Others [2007] EWHC 952 (Ch) (Peter Smith J). Acting for the Attorney General of Zambia. Fraudulent misappropriation of c. $55m in government funds by former President and other officers of Republic of Zambia and laundering via solicitors' client accounts. 16-week trial from October 2006 to February 2007. Part of a five counsel team including William Blair QC and James Evans

Arbitration

Represented a major bank in a dispute over the sale of a subsidiary. Led by William Blair QC.

Bankruptcy/Insolvency

Various winding up and bankruptcy hearings.

Awards

• 2005: Inner Temple prize for outstanding performance on the BVC
• 2005: Barstow Scholarship (for outstanding performance on the BVC)
• 2005: Top mark in year for civil advocacy on the BVC
• 2004: Princess Royal BVC scholarship (Inner Temple)
• 2003: Princess Royal CPE scholarship (Inner Temple's top CPE award)
• 2002: Full studentship (Arts & Humanities Research Board)
• 1999-2001: Scholar, Magdalen College, Oxford

Professional Membership

Inner Temple