James is an experienced legal and commercial executive with nearly 20 years’ experience across senior in-house leadership and top-tier private practice in Australia and the UK. He has held General Counsel, Company Secretary and Head of Legal roles, with particular expertise in sport, media and broadcast rights, technology, IP and corporate governance.
James is currently Head of Legal (Commercial and Media Rights) at Cricket Australia, where he acts as a senior legal and commercial adviser across some of the organisation’s most significant revenue-generating and strategic activities. He leads negotiations on major media rights arrangements and advises on initiatives including potential private investment in the Big Bash League, strategic investments, gaming, digital innovation and commercial partnerships.
Previously, James was General Counsel and Company Secretary of Victoria 2026 Pty Ltd, where he established and led the legal and governance function for the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games and subsequently advised through the Games’ cancellation and wind-down. Before that, he spent almost five years at Tennis Australia, ultimately as Head of Legal Services, advising on international media rights, IP, sponsorship, technology and other major commercial and reputational matters.
Earlier in his career, James practised with Herbert Smith Freehills in Melbourne and Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Olswang in the UK, advising major Australian and international organisations on complex commercial, technology, media and intellectual property matters.
James is a Chartered Secretary and Australian-qualified corporate legal practitioner and holds a First-Class degree in Accounting & Finance from the University of Leeds. Outside work, he is an endurance athlete who has completed more than 35 marathons and ultramarathons and more than 50 triathlons, while raising tens of thousands of dollars for charity.
