James Stonebridge is a banking lawyer based in London. He focuses on restructuring and insolvency matters as well as undertaking general banking transactions.

James' practice covers corporate and debt restructuring and recovery assignments acting for lenders, management and other stakeholders as well as insolvency and distressed debt matters.

James' recent experience includes acting for co-ordinating committees of banks on the financial restructuring of major shipping groups, acting for lenders in the oil and gas sector, and for a Middle Eastern conglomerate on its multi-billion dollar bank debt restructuring.  James recently advised a committee of secured creditors on the first-of-its kind restructuring of international shipping company Vroon on its parallel English scheme of arrangement and Dutch WHOA Plan.  James also acted for a syndicate of lenders on the first UK cross-class cram-down case under the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020. 

He is recommended in the Legal 500 2024 and is noted as providing restructuring expertise in relation to large-scale distressed shipping matters and is described as “technically strong in dealing with complex matters”. 

James is a Fellow of the Association of Business Recovery Professionals and an INSOL member. He is a regular speaker and writer on banking, restructuring and insolvency matters and recent work includes contributing to Gore-Browne on Companies, Jordans, Tolley’s Insolvency Law and Lightman & Moss: The Law of Receivers and Administrators of Companies, Sweet & Maxwell, 5th Edn.

James has been a solicitor since 1996 and a licensed insolvency practitioner since 1999. He became a partner in 2006.