James Gibson is a Partner at Hugh James and heads the firm’s Industrial Disease team.
James represents people bringing claims for industrial and environmental disease. He has particular experience in group and international litigation, including cases involving complex questions of jurisdiction, forum and parent company liability.
His current work includes collective claims on behalf of South African residents with asbestos-related disease, military personnel bringing claims alleging that exposure to helicopter exhaust during service caused their cancer, and former tar-plant workers bringing claims in connection with respiratory disease and cancer.
James has previously acted as a lead solicitor in in several high-profile group claims involving former coal carbonisation workers, including the Phurnacite, British Coal Coke, British Steel Coke and Homefire litigation.
James is ranked by Chambers and Partners and recommended by Legal 500 for his personal injury and group litigation work. He has appeared in print, radio and television media discussing cases in which he has been involved, and provides training to medical teams across England and Wales. He was Joint Co-ordinator of APIL’s Multi-Party Actions specialist interest group from 2022 to 2024.
Notable cases
- Hutson & Others v TATA Steel UK Limited [2025] EWHC 1594 (SCCO) (British Steel Coke Workers Group Litigation)
- Pearce & Others v Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Limited [2018] EWHC 2009 (QB) (British Coal Coke Workers Group Litigation)
- Jones and Others v Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Coal Products Limited [2012] EWHC 2936 (QB) (Phurnacite Workers Group Litigation)
Work history
James joined Hugh James in 2007 after graduating from the University of Exeter and Cardiff University. James became a Partner in 2017.
Languages
- Spanish (degree level)
- German (degree level)
- Welsh (A-Level)