Insights and Analysis
AI-washing – when AI hype becomes a litigation risk
Chris James
Associate Global Regulatory
Languages
English, Chinese
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Chris advises on a full range of trade law and trade compliance issues, including financial and trade sanctions, export controls and strategic trade controls, customs law, tariff classification and valuation, trade remedies, foreign direct investment (FDI) and national security screening, and forced labour and supply chain due diligence regulations, as well as related regulatory investigations and enforcement risk.
Chris works with clients across a broad range of sectors, including life sciences and pharmaceuticals, nuclear and civil energy, defence and aerospace, financial services and banking, technology, logistics and the education sector, advising on complex cross‑border trade, sanctions and investment matters. He supports clients on urgent sanctions, export controls and customs issues, as well as on trade compliance reviews, audits and global compliance uplift programmes, helping organisations design, implement and enhance effective compliance frameworks.
Chris has been recognised by Legal 500 as a “Key Lawyer” for trade, WTO anti‑dumping, customs and sanctions. He has spent time on secondment to a large US bank, gaining valuable in‑house experience, and takes a keen interest in China‑UK and China‑EU trade issues, including export controls, investment screening and broader geopolitical risk.
Representative experience
Advising a medical device manufacturer on customs law/tariff issues, including classification and customs valuation.
Advising a government regulator on trade policy matters in the context of WTO agreements.
Advising companies in the civil nuclear sector on goods classification and export controls compliance.
Leading a sanctions compliance review of a civil nuclear company’s policies, procedures and internal controls.
Assisting companies across multiple sectors with applying for and obtaining UK and EU sanctions licences.
Carrying out a sanctions compliance review and advising on the associated uplift programme for a client in the pharmaceutical sector.
Advising a European pharmaceutical manufacturer on auditing its global distributor network against trade compliance and broader regulatory requirements.
Advising a logistics company on a range of customs and border compliance issues.
Supporting clients in the aerospace sector with foreign direct investment and national security screening, including obtaining clearance approvals.
Advising technology sector companies on compliance with UK national security, trade and government procurement requirements.
Credentials
Education
- MSc Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Oxford, 2019
- BA (Hons) Geography, The University of Manchester, 2017
Bar admissions and qualifications
- Solicitor, England and Wales