James Patience
King's Counsel
Joint Head of Chambers
Areas of Practice:
Year of call
Professional bio
James has practiced exclusively in civil law for many years. His practice encompasses the breadth and depth of civil litigation, with a particular focus on clinical negligence, personal injury, and fatal accidents. He is an experienced court advocate and acts principally, though not exclusively, for Claimants.
He maintains an extensive paperwork practice, drafting advice on procedure, quantum, and merits, as well as Schedules of Loss involving the Ogden, life expectancy, and combination tables. He regularly provides advice and associated pleadings on appeal matters, often at short notice.
Education and qualifications
The University of Liverpool BA Hons (1st Class)Nottingham Law School
Memberships
Further Information
James has an excellent success rate at multi-track level and acts as sole junior on High Court and Court of Appeal matters. He was recently successful, as sole junior, in the widely reported Court of Appeal case of Alton v Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen SA (‘PZU’) [2024] EWCA Civ 1435. He also acts as junior to King’s Counsel in high-value clinical negligence, personal injury, and brain injury cases.
A significant part of James’s practice concerns claims arising from fatal accidents. He is the author of the practitioner and academic text A Practical Guide to Claims Arising from Fatal Accidents, the third edition of which is scheduled for publication in 2026. He is particularly praised by solicitors for his sensitive and straightforward approach in these difficult claims.
James does not apply for legal directories. A selection of anonymised recent cases is available, with further details provided by the clerking team.
He is accredited for direct access work, and all enquiries should be made through the clerking team.
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