James Inness is a corporate partner and co-head of Latham's UK equity capital markets practice. He has approximately 20 years’ experience representing issuers, underwriters, and major shareholders on primary and secondary equity capital markets transactions. James is a leading adviser to a wide range of clients listed on the London Stock Exchange in relation to securities offerings, major transactions, and corporate governance. James also has extensive experience advising on securities offerings on other international markets.

James' representative transactions include advising:

  • Checkout.com on corporate governance matters and various share offerings
  • Savvy Gaming Group on its US$1 billion investment in Embracer Group AB, a prominent games and esports company
  • Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and others in connection with the direct listing of Wise, Europe’s first direct listing by a technology company
  • Darktrace in its £1.7 billion IPO on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange
  • Morgan Stanley and other banks in connection with the £351 million open offer by Mitchells & Butlers
  • Morgan Stanley and Danske Bank on the DKK37 billion rights issue by Tryg A/S, the largest ever equity raise by a Scandinavian listed company
  • The underwriters in the US$25.6 billion IPO and listing of Saudi Aramco on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) 
  • The underwriters on the US$6.5 billion dual listed initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange and Astana International Exchange by Kaspi.kz, one of the largest payment and fintech companies in Kazakhstan
  • Thomas Cook Group in connection with its strategic review, re-financing the proposed sale of its airline, and ultimately its attempted recapitalisation
  • Diversified Gas & Oil on its London Stock Exchange Premium Listing and subsequent M&A transactions and securities offering
  • The underwriters in connection with Synthomer plc’s £204 million rights issue on the London Stock Exchange in connection with its £654 million acquisition in Omnova Solutions Inc
  • The underwriters in connection with the £2.4 billion initial public offering (IPO) of Avast, the world’s largest consumer antivirus software supplier, listed on the London Stock Exchange
  • TI Fluid Systems plc on its £1.3 billion IPO on the London Stock Exchange
  • The founders of Dubizzle on the sale of their shareholdings in Dubizzle, the largest online classifieds platform in the Middle East 
  • FMC Technologies Inc., the subsea oil services group, on its merger with Technip SA and listing on the NYSE and Euronext Paris 

Bar Qualification

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

Education

  • Diploma in Law, Oxford Brookes University, 1998
  • BA in Modern History, Christ Church, Oxford, 1997

Languages Spoken

  • French