James Brown KC is an experienced and highly respected advocate, with an established and busy leading practice, centred almost exclusively on serious and financial crime. After many years prosecuting and defending cases involving organised crime, drugs, homicide, kidnap, armed robbery, police corruption, sexual offences and fraud as leading junior, James took silk in early 2025.
Empathetic and engaging
James’ professionalism, meticulous preparation and ‘polite relentlessness’ in court – combining a pleasant and fair manner with determination and persistence – make him popular with instructing solicitors and opponents alike. He has been praised for his tough and precise cross-examination and for his ability to establish effective relationships and build rapport easily. Simply put, people like him and listen to him.
Long and complex cases
In the last few years James’s practice has been dominated by a series of complex, multi-handed cases including NHS and plant machinery frauds, three very large drug cases , each involving 30+ defendants, high-profile prosecutions for murder, gang-related attempted murder; and defending in cases of money laundering and sexual assault on a victim with cerebral palsy.
In all these cases, James’s leadership and his ability to process and prioritise swathes of detail, including expert, forensic and psychiatric evidence, stand out.
He is a first-class team leader and strategist, directing resources to the most important aspects of a case, avoiding unnecessary confrontations and providing exceptional levels of client support and care.
