​Before joining Walkers, James was a partner with another major offshore law firm where he spent over seven years in their Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and Singapore offices. Prior to his move to the Cayman Islands in 2007, James worked in the structured finance group of Linklaters in London.

Admitted in:
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
England and Wales (not practising)
 

Qualifications:
Law Degree (with honours), University of Wales, Aberystwyth

2023 IFLR 1000 - Highly Regarded

2023 Chambers Global - Notable Practitioner - Corporate & Finance - "James is great. He is prompt in his responses and incredibly knowledgeable."

2023 Legal 500 - Leading Individual - Banking, Finance & Capital Market - "James Burch possesses considerable experience in CLOs and secured note programme structurings, acting for a range of financial services companies and aviation sector operators."

2022 Chambers Global - Notable Practitioner - Corporate & Finance

2022 Legal 500 - Leading Individual - Banking, Finance & Capital Market

2021 IFLR 1000 - Highly Regarded

2021 Chambers and Partners - Notable Practitioner (Corporate & Finance) - "James is indispensable when I need very practical advice on how best to think about Cayman law matters, as well as more general legal and commercial matters affecting our business," remarked one interviewee.

2021 Legal 500 - Leading Individual - Banking, Finance & Capital Market

2021 Legal 500 - Recommended - Corporate & Commercial

2020 Chambers and Partners - Notable Practitioner (Corporate & Finance) - "Commentators depict him as a "diligent" practitioner, with one client adding that he is "super easy to work with" and "has good communication skills."

2020 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Banking, Finance & Capital Markets

2020 IFLR 1000 - Highly Regarded

2019 Chambers and Partners - Notable Practitioner (Corporate & Finance) - "James Burch is a "well-respected finance lawyer" in the Cayman market. He is a go-to contact for many clients working in the areas of CLOs and structured finance. Sources say: "He is creative, hard-working, confident and does a great job leading a team."

2019 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Corporate & Commercial​

2018 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Banking, Finance & Capital Markets

2018 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer - Corporate & Commercial​

2018 IFLR 1000 - Rising Star​

2017 Legal 500 - Recommended Lawyer (Corporate & Commercial)

2017 IFLR 1000 - Rising Star

NEWS

• Walkers leads Legal 500 2024 industry rankings in Caribbean - The Cayman Islands practice of Walkers, the leading law and professional services firm, has received...
  
• Walkers Leads Legal 500 2023 Offshore Lawyer Rankings - Walkers is proud to receive 44 individual lawyer rankings in the 2023 Legal 500 Caribbean directory ...
  
• Walkers Named #1 Global CLO Market Offshore Service Provider in Creditflux's CLO Census 2022 - Walkers is pleased to announce that its law firm and Walkers Professional Services ("WPS") have been...
  
• Walkers Scoops Top 10 Ranking in Airfinance Journal Legal Survey 2021 - Walkers is pleased to announce that its Global Asset Finance Group has landed a top 10 ranking in th...
  
• Walkers at SFVegas 2022 - Walkers is a leading international law firm providing legal, tax, listing and professional services ...
  
View All

ADVISORY

• Update on the Removal of the Cayman Islands from the FATF's List of Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring - Download Full Advisory Following the conclusion of the most recent plenary of the Financial Action ...
  
• Update on the Removal of the Cayman Islands from the FATF's List of Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring - Following the conclusion of the most recent plenary of the Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") on 2...
  
• Video: Cayman Islands CLOs and the EU AML List - The Solutions - In this video, Walkers' Bermuda, Jersey and Cayman Islands CLO teams discuss the EU AML List and the...
  
• Update on the EU AML List - Limited Impact for the Cayman Islands - In January we published an advisory which provided an update on the European Commission’s delegate...
  
• Update on EU AML List – Limited Impact for Cayman Islands - Last March we published an advisory on the Cayman Islands inclusion on the Financial Action Task For...
  
View All

ARTICLES

• Chambers Global Aviation Finance & Leasing Guide 2023: Cayman Islands - In the 2023 Chambers and Partners Global Aviation Finance & Leasing Guide for the Cayman Islands, ou...
  
• Resurgence in the use of blocker entities for US CLOs - Walkers are seeing a recent resurgence in the establishment of blocker entities for US CLOs as a con...
  
• Chambers Global Aviation Finance & Leasing Guide 2022: Cayman Islands - In the 2022 Chambers and Partners Global Aviation Finance & Leasing Guide for the Cayman Islands, ou...
  
• Chambers Global Aviation Finance & Leasing Guide 2022 - Walkers is delighted to have provided the Cayman Islands, Guernsey and Ireland chapters as part of t...
  
• Bermuda CLOs: Top 3 Tips - Following the inclusion in February 2022 of the Cayman Islands on the European Union’s AML list, m...
  
View All

EVENTS

• SFVegas 2022 – 17-20 July 2022 - We are delighted to attend and support this year's SFVegas event, the largest capital markets confer...
  
• Cayman Islands CLOs and the EU AML List - The Solutions - Join members of Walkers' Bermuda, Jersey and Cayman Islands CLO teams as we discuss the EU AML List ...
  
• Cayman Islands CLOs and the EU AML List - Join Walkers' Cayman and Bermuda partners for a closer look at the EU AML List and its potentia...
  
• Walkers Wellness at SFVegas 2020 - Once again Walkers will be hosting its Walkers Wellness classes at SFVegas 2020.  Choose betwe...
  
• Walkers to Sponsor OPAL CLO Summit 2019 - Walkers is pleased to be a bronze sponsor at the OPAL 2019 CLO Summit in California, December 8 - De...
  
View All

MATTERS

• Walkers advises on Blackbird II's $745m asset-backed notes issuance - Walkers acted as Cayman Islands legal counsel in Air Lease Corporation's ("ALC") recent $745m asset-...
  
• Walkers Acts on Inaugural GAEL Fund - Walkers has acted as Cayman Islands and Ireland counsel to an undisclosed bank in relation to its in...
  
• Walkers acts as Cayman Islands Counsel in Closing of Thunderbolt II Aircraft Asset Backed Securitisation - Walkers acted as Cayman Islands counsel in Air Lease Corporation's recent securitisation of a portfo...
  
• Walkers Acts on Novel Aircraft Finance Purchases - AFIC - The Marsh-sponsored Aircraft Finance Insurance Consortium (AFIC) has been the buzz of the air financ...
  
• Walkers (Cayman) Acts on $640 Million Aircraft Securitisation - Walkers acted as Cayman Islands counsel to Apollo Aviation Group as it priced its third aircraft sec...
  
View All