Byron James

Byron James is a Partner and Head of the Expatriate Law team in the United Arab Emirates. Having been based in the Middle East for several years, he has an expert understanding of the local law and culture, in particular the way in which it affects expatriates. His caseload is diverse, he represents expatriates all over the world with clients in almost every continent. He specialises in all aspects of family law, ranging from divorce and financial remedy cases to disputes involving children.

Byron is ranked by Chambers & Partners with impressive testimonials, calling him ‘very astute’ and ‘an asset to the firm. Another interviewee said:

he is extremely intelligent, and very much on top of the changing international family law landscape. He knows lots about regulation and is at the cutting edge of the legal world.

Byron is also ranked by Spears Family Law Index.

Before joining Expatriate Law, Byron worked as a Barrister in Central London for over ten years. He was ranked in both the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a leading barrister. At one time, he was the youngest family law barrister ranked in the directories.

Byron has won several awards during his career, including being recently shortlisted as “International Family Lawyer of the Year” and previously being named “Young Child Law Specialist of the Year”. In 2013, he was awarded the Pegasus Scholarship that enabled him to work for a time in New Zealand.

During his career at the Bar, Byron appeared in Courts throughout England, including in several reported decisions resolving complex areas of family law. This experience has given Byron an excellent understanding of the Court process and first hand knowledge of litigating and negotiating family law matters. He also knows the members of the family Bar extremely well, and knows which barristers are right for each client or case.

Byron says:

It is rare for a family lawyer to specialise in purely international cases; my time working at Expatriate Law has afforded me with the unique opportunity to become an expert in this field. I have handled an array of complex, diverse and interesting cases with many involving novel points of law. My cases involve expatriates based in countries with legal systems very different to that of England and Wales. My extensive experience in international family law has helped me gain a deep understanding of the cultural circumstances and specific difficulties expatriates can find themselves in. My team is expert in finding solutions to complex and novel family law issues within an international context.

Qualification

• Call: 2006

Memberships

• Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers

Awards and scholarships

• Finalist for International Family Lawyer of the Year (Family Law Awards, 2024)
• Ranked in Band 1 in Chambers & Partners UAE High Net Worth guide
• Winner, Family Law Case of the Year for our Supreme Court case win in the case of Ul-Hassan (Family Law Awards, 2023)
• Winner, International Family Lawyer of the Year (Family Law Awards, 2022)
• Ranked in Spear’s 500 Family Law Index
• Pegasus Scholarship recipient (2013)