James O’Flinn

James is an experienced commercial litigator specialising in complex corporate disputes. He acts for domestic and international companies on contractual, and shareholder claims, injunctions, breach of warranty and cross-border litigation.

• Acting for a corporate client on a multimillion-pound warranty dispute following the sale of a large piece of land for development involving allegations by the purchaser of contamination on the land. 
• Acting for a large international Spanish corporate with a worldwide presence in its contractual dispute with a significant US Company, the seat of arbitration being Geneva, Switzerland. 
• Acting for a corporate client to successfully secure an injunction to freeze (and subsequently return) funds removed from the corporate client’s bank account through an unlawful reversal of a direct debit mandate. 
• Acting for an international corporate client in complex criminal and civil proceedings following the death/severe injury of users of their heavy plant machinery in England and the US. 
• Acting for a corporate client in pursuing a claim emanating out of Columbia against a Lloyd’s syndicate concerning a refusal to pay out under a key man insurance policy. 
• Acting for corporate client in removal of CFO. 
• Acting for corporate client in action against errant CEO. 
• Acting for clients in connection with employment restrictive covenants. 
• Acting for shareholders/partners in defending injunction proceedings in family/siblings business dispute. 
• Acting for directors in a claim against the company accountants and auditors following an Inland Revenue investigation which discovered significant irregularities. 
• Acting for a fuel supplier involved in a complex and highly publicised multimillion-pound claim brought by various well-known supermarkets against their fuel suppliers following the alleged contamination of car fuel supplied to thousands of motorists. 
• Acting for a very well-known TV production company on various contractual disputes arising out of its productions. 
• Acting for a very well-known international shirt manufacturer in respect of seizure (and subsequent destruction) of counterfeit goods by customs and excise. 
• Acting for a franchisor client in defending injunction proceedings. 
• Acting for corporate client in striking out winding up petition over debt claim. 
• Acting for client seller of company in dispute and recovery over multi-million sale proceeds from purchaser 
• Acting for director/shareholder clients within complex financial divorce settlements 
• Acting for investors in recovery of significant invested funds from a company and its sole director that misused and abused the investment. 
• Acting for corporate client in dispute with a supplier surrounding thousands of pairs of trainers. 
• Acting for franchisors and franchisees in various disputes. 

James has extensive experience in cross-border litigation and arbitration, acting for clients in Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. His work includes IP, IT, insurance, and commercial contract disputes, as well as complex multi-jurisdictional claims across industries such as logistics, banking, technology, and hospitality. 

• Reinsurance claim, Distribution Agreement claim (Italy) 
• Passing-off claim (US) 
• Patent ownership (US) 
• Purchase of a hotel (Turkey) 
• Installation of software (Poland, Belgium) 
• Commercial contract dispute (Austria) 
• Trade mark and copyright infringement (China, Singapore, Canada, Malta, South Africa) 
• IT dispute (Belgium) 
• Banking dispute (Netherlands) 
• Contract for supply of heavy materials (Bulgaria) 
• Debt actions (France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Singapore, South Africa) 
• Key man insurance (Columbia) 
• Breach of supply agreement (Croatia) 
• Breach of a procurement contract at a major hub airport in South Africa for a client with a worldwide logistics presence 
• Acting for UK client against individual in South Africa infringing their trade mark and passing off.  

James advises and represents clients in high-value IT and intellectual property disputes, both domestically and internationally. His experience includes software and licensing disagreements, copyright and trade mark infringement, and patent ownership issues.  

• Acting in a complex international arbitration with its seat in Belgium on a significant IT dispute between a telecommunications company and a software company which resulted in a clean-sweep award for the client. 
• Acting for an internationally renowned developer and publisher of computer game titles in the strategy genre in commercial contract, intellectual property, and software disputes. 
• Acting for companies in dispute with NHS trusts over IT contracts. 
• Advising on trade mark infringement in various franchise disputes where parties were trading under mark without licence. 
• Acting for clients in numerous cases of copyright and trade mark infringements in the UK and overseas. 
• Acting in a case involving Microsoft and the NHS involving breach of licence/lack of licence. 
• Acting for corporate client and individuals in high profile and widely publicised music copyright dispute. 
• Acting for an inventor client in an international cross-border dispute over patent ownership of a car-door hemming machine. 
• Acting for central London barristers’ chambers in action against IT system supplier. 
• Acting for an international e-commerce client in a claim against it by one of its customers re a dispute over delivery of an IT contract. 
• Advising on a trade mark infringement claim in respect of a well-known camera manufacturer’s mark. 
• Action for corporate client in resolving copyright and passing off claims by US conglomerate. 
• Acting for corporate client in successfully rebutting trade mark infringement claim by a well-known Hollywood entertainment conglomerate. 
• Acting for corporate client in pursuing another company in misrepresentation, passing off and copyright infringement which had falsely claimed to have worked with our client and been recommended by them. 
• Acting for firm of architects in successfully resisting application in the High Court to join them to existing proceedings in copyright infringement and reverse passing off. 
• Acting for corporate client in pursuing third party producing and selling unauthorised versions of its products and infringing its IP rights in the process. 
• Acting for global content breaking news agency in protecting and enforcing copyright.  

James handles high-value, complex commercial disputes involving allegations of fraud, deceit, and misconduct. He is experienced in managing sensitive, high-stakes litigation for high-net-worth individuals and corporate clients across multiple sectors including loans, protection from harassment and debt recovery. 

• Acting for HNW client in a claim of deceit arising out of allegations of tampering with documents in relation to a multimillion-pound property sale. 
• Acting for clients in dispute with Estate Agents over commission/fees  
• Numerous actions involving individuals and corporate clients in debt recovery actions, including those concerning winding up petitions. 
• Acting for various clients in securing protective injunctions under Protection from Harassment Act 1997. 
• Acting for corporate client in obtaining a Civil Restraint Order against a vexatious litigant who repeatedly issued multi-million-pound claims against the client which the court held were “totally without merit”. 
• Acting for various companies and individuals in disputes concerning loans. Including disputes over loans made within family circles. 
• Acting for various corporate clients in disputes centred around commercial leasing of photocopiers. 
• Acting for clients in successfully resolving their dispute with the Commonwealth Secretariat. 

James advises professional athletes, clubs, and investors on contractual and disciplinary matters within football and sport more widely. 

• Advising a Premiership footballer in respect of claim of breach of contract by his club. 
• Advising football league club chairman and investor in respect of dispute over payment for sale of shares. 
• Acting for a cricketer in disciplinary proceedings accused of ball tampering. 

Recognised by The Legal 500 for Dispute Resolution and Franchising  

Affiliate Member of the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA)