Vanessa James

Vanessa is a City based Employment Law Partner at Trowers & Hamlins, with over 20 years' experience advising employers, boards and high net worth individuals on employment and related governance matters. Through her experience with top ranking law firms, Vanessa has built a consistent reputation for achieving successful outcomes for her long-standing client base, which ensures that Vanessa is also frequently instructed by new clients who have been recommended by others who have worked with her.  Vanessa's expert knowledge covers employment law, inclusion and diversity, HR, Union matters (disputes, strike ballots, collective bargaining), general litigation and dispute resolution (including High Court), board governance and she has expertise across several sectors (including charities, supported housing, healthcare, financial services, construction, further education, and retail catering/ hospitality). 

Vanessa's reputation is recognised in Legal 500, which states "Vanessa James, [is] an ‘outstanding partner’ with ‘excellent business acumen’, [who] fields extensive experience in assisting clients with employment law and HR matters.'

Having acted in a number of high profile and uniquely complex matters Vanessa regularly  supports clients on the most complex, high-profile matters, including managing independent investigations (and at times acting as the independent investigator) and setting up employment related public enquiries.   

Throughout her practice, Vanessa has regularly written or contributed to articles (which has seen her appear in publications such as The Times, Personnel Today, HR Magazine and The Telegraph) and received various acknowledgements and rankings for her work through Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

Vanessa has 15 years of non-executive director experience where she has sat as a trustee for the boards of Riversmeade Housing Association (Network Housing) and Westminster University and she is currently the Chair of Hyelm, a charity providing affordable housing for young people in the capital.