James Stewart (solicitor)
Encyclopedia
James Stewart is a London based solicitor
and collaborative lawyer, who acts for celebrities and others in often high-profile and international divorce
and family law cases. A partner at Manches, he is top ranked in the Legal 500, Spears WMS Legal Index and in Chambers UK 2011. In October 2010 he was the only matrimonial lawyer to be shortlisted for the "Solicitor of the Year - Private Practice 2010" category of the Law Society Excellence Awards
of a County Tyrone
farmer, Stewart was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution
in County Londonderry
, the University of Essex
and the College of Law
, Chester
.
in 1990, was accredited by Resolution as a specialist family lawyer in 1999. A year later he was appointed partner and head of the family department at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain. In 2003 he was the only lawyer to be profiled in the "On the Verge" series of the Observer
magazine . He became a partner at Manches LLP in 2006, shortly after being elected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (IAML), a worldwide association of family lawyers who are recognised by their peers as the most experienced and expert family law specialists in their respective countries.
He has acted on a number high-profile divorce cases involving members of Pink Floyd
and INXS
, has represented clients including Dynasty
actress, Emma Samms
, Priscilla Waters (in her divorce against Roger Waters
) and Julie Le Brocquy
, producer of BAFTA award winning Osama
. Stewart also successfully represented Glory Annen Clibbery
in the landmark family/Human Rights Act 1998
case of Clibbery v Allan (2002), where he won at first instance and on appeal. He also acted for the successful claimant, Kerry Cox, in the widely publicised cohabitation case of Cox v Jones in 2004. His firm, Manches, represented Guy Ritchie
in his divorce with his wife Madonna
Stewart is a recognised expert in cases involving claims for financial support for children of unmarried parents – the Children Act 1989, schedule 1 ( a provision most often used where the parent with whom the child does not live is relatively wealthy). He acted for the successful mother in the case of Re: C (A Child: Financial Provision) [2006], where his client achieved a capital fund of £2million, the highest award of its kind in England.
Stewart was in the first group of solicitors in England to train in Collaborative Family Law, a non-confrontational approach towards alternate dispute resolution in family law
. In 2007 he co-founded the Central London Collaborative forum, which aims to bring this form of dispute resolution to "big money" and celebrity divorces. In October 2009 he hosted over 200 of the UK's leading family lawyers at his club, Shoreditch House, to hear a keynote address by the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore. This was the first occasion in which a member of the Supreme Court publicly endorsed Collaborative Law.
In January 2009 Stewart was appointed Governor of the IAML and invited to become a member of the Times Law Panel, an advisory body of 100 of the country's most prominent barristers and solicitors. Citywealth has included Stewart in its list of Leading Lawyers for 2010/11 (Family & Matrimonial - Honours List)
In January 2011 Stewart was the only family lawyer to be included in The Lawyer's prestigious ‘Hot 100’. Published annually, the Hot 100 highlights "100 lawyers who were at the top of their game during the last year and who are set to shape the legal landscape in the 12 months ahead".
His inclusion in the 2011 listing was based on a number of factors, in particular Stewarts’s passion for family law and his tireless work in promoting the use of collaborative law in the UK. He is praised by clients for his “dedicated and unswerving approach”, and he is recognised in the listing as “steadily building a reputation as one of the country’s family lawyer elite”.
Stewart writes extensively on International family law
and is a recognised authority on domestic and international pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements and on complex financial cases, his articles on Anglo-Russian divorce have appeared in The Times
, The Lawyer
and the Russian Investment Review
, London
. He is a supporter of the peace building charity, Co-operation Ireland
. and has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of this and other charities
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and collaborative lawyer, who acts for celebrities and others in often high-profile and international divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
and family law cases. A partner at Manches, he is top ranked in the Legal 500, Spears WMS Legal Index and in Chambers UK 2011. In October 2010 he was the only matrimonial lawyer to be shortlisted for the "Solicitor of the Year - Private Practice 2010" category of the Law Society Excellence Awards
- "James has worked to improve the reputation of the profession at a time when family lawyers have been subject to much criticism. His use of social media is inspiring and his energetic support of alternative dispute resolution has confirmed his position as one of the most admired family lawyers in this jurisdiction". Excellence Awards 2010 citation
Early life
The sonSon
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
of a County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
farmer, Stewart was educated at Coleraine Academical Institution
Coleraine Academical Institution
Coleraine Academical Institution , styled locally as Coleraine Inst, is a voluntary grammar school for boys, situated in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland....
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, the University of Essex
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
and the College of Law
The College of Law
The College of Law of England and Wales is a private educational institution in England and a registered charity which provides legal education for students and professionals.-20th century:...
, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
.
Legal career
Stewart qualified as a solicitorSolicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1990, was accredited by Resolution as a specialist family lawyer in 1999. A year later he was appointed partner and head of the family department at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain. In 2003 he was the only lawyer to be profiled in the "On the Verge" series of the Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
magazine . He became a partner at Manches LLP in 2006, shortly after being elected as a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (IAML), a worldwide association of family lawyers who are recognised by their peers as the most experienced and expert family law specialists in their respective countries.
He has acted on a number high-profile divorce cases involving members of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
, has represented clients including Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
actress, Emma Samms
Emma Samms
Emma Samms is a British television actress best known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital and for replacing Pamela Sue Martin as Fallon Carrington Colby on the primetime soap opera Dynasty.-Early life:Samms was born in Willesden, London, England, the...
, Priscilla Waters (in her divorce against Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
) and Julie Le Brocquy
Julie le Brocquy
Co-founder of le Brocquy Fraser Productions . Credits include the award winning Osama -Background:Lives in Dublin, Ireland. Niece of the leading Irish artist, Louis le Brocquy.-Films Complete:Buai Laju Laju...
, producer of BAFTA award winning Osama
Osama (film)
Osama is a 2003 film made in Afghanistan by Siddiq Barmak. It is about a girl living in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime who disguises herself as a boy, Osama, to support her family. It was the first film to be shot entirely in Afghanistan since 1996, when the Taliban régime banned the...
. Stewart also successfully represented Glory Annen Clibbery
Glory Annen Clibbery
Glory Annen Clibbery is a Canadian actress, who is well known for her involvement in a landmark Family Law case in London, Allan v. Clibbery.-Career:Clibbery was born in Kenora, Ontario, Canada...
in the landmark family/Human Rights Act 1998
Human Rights Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000. Its aim is to "give further effect" in UK law to the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights...
case of Clibbery v Allan (2002), where he won at first instance and on appeal. He also acted for the successful claimant, Kerry Cox, in the widely publicised cohabitation case of Cox v Jones in 2004. His firm, Manches, represented Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
in his divorce with his wife Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
Stewart is a recognised expert in cases involving claims for financial support for children of unmarried parents – the Children Act 1989, schedule 1 ( a provision most often used where the parent with whom the child does not live is relatively wealthy). He acted for the successful mother in the case of Re: C (A Child: Financial Provision) [2006], where his client achieved a capital fund of £2million, the highest award of its kind in England.
Stewart was in the first group of solicitors in England to train in Collaborative Family Law, a non-confrontational approach towards alternate dispute resolution in family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
. In 2007 he co-founded the Central London Collaborative forum, which aims to bring this form of dispute resolution to "big money" and celebrity divorces. In October 2009 he hosted over 200 of the UK's leading family lawyers at his club, Shoreditch House, to hear a keynote address by the newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore. This was the first occasion in which a member of the Supreme Court publicly endorsed Collaborative Law.
In January 2009 Stewart was appointed Governor of the IAML and invited to become a member of the Times Law Panel, an advisory body of 100 of the country's most prominent barristers and solicitors. Citywealth has included Stewart in its list of Leading Lawyers for 2010/11 (Family & Matrimonial - Honours List)
In January 2011 Stewart was the only family lawyer to be included in The Lawyer's prestigious ‘Hot 100’. Published annually, the Hot 100 highlights "100 lawyers who were at the top of their game during the last year and who are set to shape the legal landscape in the 12 months ahead".
His inclusion in the 2011 listing was based on a number of factors, in particular Stewarts’s passion for family law and his tireless work in promoting the use of collaborative law in the UK. He is praised by clients for his “dedicated and unswerving approach”, and he is recognised in the listing as “steadily building a reputation as one of the country’s family lawyer elite”.
Stewart writes extensively on International family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
and is a recognised authority on domestic and international pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements and on complex financial cases, his articles on Anglo-Russian divorce have appeared in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, The Lawyer
The Lawyer
The Lawyer is a weekly British magazine for commercial lawyers and corporate directors, first published in 1981. It is owned by Centaur Media plc....
and the Russian Investment Review
Personal life
Stewart lives in Covent GardenCovent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is a supporter of the peace building charity, Co-operation Ireland
Co-operation Ireland
Co-operation Ireland is a non-political and non-denominational charity dedicated to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Much of Co-operation Ireland's work focuses on bringing the two main communities in Northern Ireland together through programmes such as the...
. and has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of this and other charities
See also
- Jane Simpson
- Helen WardHelen Ward (solicitor)Lady Ward, a partner at Manches, is a London lawyer.Ward was born in Golders Green. Her mother was a painter and her father a successful businessman. Helen Gilbert, as she was, attended the fee-paying King Alfred school before studying law at Birmingham University...
- Anne-Marie Hutchinson
- Marilyn StoweMarilyn StoweMarilyn Stowe is an English solicitor. She has been described by The Times as "one of the most formidable and sought-after divorce lawyers in the UK", and described as "one of the country's leading divorce lawyers". She is also known for unearthing the medical evidence that freed Sally Clark, the...
- Collaborative Family Law
- International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers