James brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having qualified, trained, and worked in both England and Ireland with firms such as Greenwoods, Eversheds, and DAC Beachcroft.
From 2010 to 2024, James led DAC Beachcroft's personal injury practice in Dublin, growing it from scratch into a multi-million euro team with over 30 team members. His experience includes acting for clients defending medical negligence, professional indemnity, construction claims, and injury claims.
Commenting on his appointment, James said: "I am really excited to join DWF as the new head of insurance and managing partner in Dublin. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a talented team and contribute to the growth and success of the business. I look forward to using my experience in the insurance sector to deliver exceptional service to our clients and drive innovation in our practices."
Matthew Doughty, CEO, Insurance Services at DWF, added: "We are delighted to welcome James to DWF. He is a very experienced defendant lawyer with an extensive network of contacts in both the Irish and London markets and beyond. His extensive experience and proven track record in building successful teams make him an invaluable addition to our business and we look forward to the exciting developments ahead under his leadership."
This is the latest move from DWF as it continues to enhance its capabilities globally. Last week, DWF announced that it has agreed to recruit a team of 28 people in Montreal, with the insurance and civil litigation team of Bélanger Sauvé set to join in January. In November, it announced that an agreement had been reached to recruit the London market team of the Australian law firm, Hall & Wilcox, with nine partners set to join by May 2025. In September, DWF completed the acquisition of the leading Australian claims management business Proclaim.