James Drake KC

James Drake KC is a full-time arbitrator, with a practice covering a wide range of international commercial and sporting disputes.

James has extensive experience in international commercial arbitrations (whether as sole or co-arbitrator or chairman) under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) and the Swiss Arbitration Centre (SAC), as well as in ad hoc arbitrations. He is a member of ICC (Australia), the LCIA, a fellow of the CIArb, a fellow of the Australian Centre for International Arbitration (ACICA), a member of the CIArb’s Presidential Panel, and a chartered arbitrator.

His recent appointments in the commercial arena have included disputes in areas such as: commodities and international sale of goods, energy, oil rigs, finance, share sales, corporate fraud, joint ventures, limited liability partnerships, insurance/reinsurance, and international infrastructure projects. His recent commercial appointments are listed below.

James has also had extensive experience in sport arbitrations. He is a member of the panel of arbitrators for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (in Lausanne) (CAS) (including for the Ad Hoc Division for the Winter Olympic Games Milano-Cortina 2026) and a member of the judicial panels for the Lawn Tennis Association and the Premier League.

His recent appointments in sport arbitrations are listed below.

Professional background

Before becoming a full-time arbitrator, James had a broad international commercial practice at the Bar. He is qualified in London, New York, Australia and the British Virgin Islands, and has appeared as counsel in courts and before arbitral tribunals in London, Sydney, New York, BVI, Antigua and Bermuda.

At the Bar, James specialised in all areas of commercial law, with particular emphasis on commercial fraud, banking and financial services, insurance / reinsurance, energy and commodities, and joint venture/ partnership disputes.

Before coming to the Bar in London, James practised extensively in the US (New York) and in Australia (Sydney and Adelaide). He was a partner in a specialist litigation firm in New York, since merged with Norton Rose and, prior to that, he was in the New York and Sydney offices of Baker McKenzie.

James is also a qualified accountant and worked at KPMG before moving into the law.