James Bowen

About me

James has a broad practice covering commercial litigation, contentious regulation, business crime and sanctions and investigations. James has worked for a number of listed financial institutions and other companies in disputes and investigations in both London and Hong Kong.

He has a particular interest in investigations and civil litigation touching on the Middle East, and acts for a number of international and local companies doing business in the region and specifically in KSA. He covers a broad range of investigations – from non-financial misconduct and culture issues to white collar crime and bribery and corruption.

James is one of Linklaters’ UK sanctions experts and has been involved in advising on sanctions since 2015, when he spent six months in the Moscow offices of Linklaters LLP. He has been highly involved with Linklaters’ response to and advising on recent Ukraine-related sanctions and has contributed to a number of external publications and seminars relating to Russian sanctions. He has a particular interest in the application of sanctions to financial institutions and telecommunications companies.

He recently returned from a three-year secondment to the Hong Kong office of Linklaters LLP and spent six months in the Moscow office of Linklaters LLP. James has had the benefit of six months on secondment to two global investment banks in Hong Kong and is presently on a part-time secondment to NEOM in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Work highlights

James’s recent matters include:

• Advising the British Broadcasting Corporation and an independent reviewer in relation to a high-profile investigation for the BBC into sexual misconduct by a DJ employed by this organisation.
• Advising in relation to a high-profile UK public inquiry into alleged large-scale corporate wrongdoing and associated criminal investigation / potential civil litigation and remediation process.
• Advising a multinational investment bank in relation to regulatory investigations arising out of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal.
• Acting for News Group Newspapers in the U.K. Mobile Telephone Voicemail Interception Litigation (group litigation in the Chancery Division).
• Advising various UK and global corporates on high-profile and challenging divestments from the Russian market.
• Advising multiple global telecommunications companies on relationships with designated entities in Russia and elsewhere and liaison with OFSI / UK government to seek grant of general licence.