James is a solicitor in the Commercial Real Estate department and deals with all aspects of commercial property.
Having grown up in Essex, and going to Westcliff High School for Boys, James moved to Bedfordshire, in order to commence his training contract with Taylor Walton in 2002.
James studied Law and Economics at Keele University, where he met his wife, before completing his LPC at the College of Law in London. He completed his training contract and qualified into the Commercial Real Estate department in September 2004.
Whilst advising on all aspect of Commercial Real Estate, James takes a special interest in advising residential and commercial developers on site acquisition and disposals. In addition, James advises some of Taylor Walton’s most important clients on their property portfolios, as well as the Firm’s banking clients, on property finance matters. Acting for both landlord tenants in landlord and tenant matters and small business acquisitions also makes up James’ workload.
James has acted for clients on multi million pound property portfolio refinances, shopping centre disposals, multi site retail acquisitions and large scale residential development acquisitions, both as an assistant and lead fee earner.
When dealing with his clients, James feels that he can understand his client’s business and likes to take a special interest in the client, their business and their background. This enables James to fully understand how the particular transaction fits into the bigger picture of the client’s business. A recent client wrote:
VFM has used the various services of Taylor Walton for nine years to provide advice and guidance on diverse issues from the drafting and execution of a shareholders agreement to the completion and determination of commercial leases, and the Taylor Walton team have always provided timely, reliable and professional advice that takes account of our individual needs. We recently purchased a commercial property for the first time and the transaction was handled by James Cottrell. We were impressed with how quickly he demonstrated an understanding of the complexities of the purchase contract for our business, his meticulous attention to detail and his comprehensive advice. His professional understanding to which he applied his own business acumen was an instrumental factor which allowed us to make a significant saving, without which the purchase may not have been possible, so we are grateful for his advice. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Taylor Walton in the future.
Bill Jackson
Chief Executive Officer
VFM Services Ltd
http://vfm-services.com
James is an active member of the Firm when it comes to business development and marketing, as well as offering guidance and assistance to younger members of the department and the Firm. James is heavily involved in the sporting and social elements of Taylor Walton.
Personal Outlook
James’ caseload is made up of longstanding clients, who keep coming back to James because of his sensible and positive approach, as well as his diligence and straight talking manner. Having a good personal relationship and rapport with clients and other professionals is the key to not only getting the job done properly, but enjoying the work at the same time.
Life Outside of Taylor Walton
A keen sportsman, James keeps himself fit by playing football weekly and skiing, as well as avidly supporting his beloved Manchester United. James still believes that he will get called up to play for either United or England but those who have seen him play or have played with him know that this is just a pipedream!
Aside from sporting activities, James enjoys travelling to exotic locations, socialising (though the morning after is getting worse!) and watching a lot of television!!
