James Porter

James qualified as a solicitor in January 2003, having trained with Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw and Cheyney Goulding, before joining Vanderpump & Sykes in July 2003. James specialises in commercial property transactions and his experience includes acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold properties, the property aspects of corporate transactions, landlord and tenant matters and property finance. James also deals with leasehold enfranchisement matters for investment landlords and residential tenants. 

How did you get into law? Via a very scenic route it appears! Armed with an undergraduate degree in History and aspirations to be a businessman extraordinaire, James decided to boost his credentials with a postgraduate diploma in law. James enjoyed law so much that he took a Legal Practical Course (LPC) to qualify as a solicitor.

Like father like son (in a roundabout way) James' first job was working in the legal department of Alstom, a multi-national engineering company (his father was an engineer), handling major (£100m) litigation projects. The experience gave him a good insight into business and the client's perceptions of lawyers!

So where does Vanderpump & Sykes fit in? Seeking a move away from litigation and experience in commercial property James joined Vanderpump & Sykes' commercial property department.

Outside of work James enjoys football, has a love/hate relationship with running, furthering his professional development AND raising a growing family with a recent addition this Summer.

In the future James dreams of buying and restoring a classic car. This is once he has conquered the challenge of restoring his children's Lego works of art!