James is a Partner in the Resources & Infrastructure Department in Wellington. His primary area of practice involves advising on resource management and environmental law with a particular focus on energy, utilities and infrastructure projects. He regularly appears before local authorities and the Environment Court, and also appears in the High Court and Court of Appeal on resource management matters and related litigation.

Other areas of practice include environmental due diligence, judicial review, financial contributions, subdivision, roading, historic places, environmental enforcement and prosecutions, public works and the Building Act. James also provides environmental compliance and liability advice for corporate clients.

He works with a wide variety of clients including Kapiti Coast District Council, BP Oil NZ Limited, Transit New Zealand, Porirua City Council, Transpower, Christchurch City Council, EECA, Taupo District Council and oil and gas exploration companies.

• Acting for Transpower on North Island grid upgrade project, including Ministerial call-in and Board of Inquiry hearing 
• Acting for Kapiti Coast District Council and Taupo District Council in pursuing major roading projects, including resulting Environment and High Court litigation
• Consents for residential development of the former Fort Dorset site, Seatoun (including advice on remediation of contaminated land)
• Acting for TelstraClear in obtaining consents for its national submarine fibre optic cable project and on the resulting Environment Court appeals
• Advising the Crown on liability and environmental issues concerning leaking oil wells in New Plymouth
• Advising Transpower New Zealand Limited on various environmental and network security issues, and on national policy statements and national environmental standards under the RMA 
• Acting for Masterfoods on development of a greenfields manufacturing facility near Wanganui
• Counsel for the Energy Effeciency and Conservation Authority (EECA) on various windfarm appeals
• Legal advisor on Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy project
• Advising Transit New Zealand on various resource management and State highway sustainability issues
• Acting for BP Oil New Zealand Limited in obtaining consents for service station developments around the country and regional and district council consents for a new bulk petroleum storage facility at Lyttelton
• Consents for various civic and public works projects

• Author of Network Utilities, The Road Corridor and the Resource Management Act 1991 Legal Analysis for Local Government New Zealand [LGNZ]
• Contributing author - Brookers' Resource Management
• Regular speaker and seminar presenter on RMA issues
• Resource Management Law Association of New Zealand - National Committee member