Charles Russell Speechlys further bolsters Private Equity expertise with the appointment of James Paterson

Charles Russell Speechlys is pleased to announce the appointment of James Paterson as Partner in the Corporate team.

James joins the Firm from Mishcon de Reya, where he was a Partner in the Corporate Department. James' practice is principally focused on advising founders and management teams on private equity sponsor-backed transactions, exits, refinancings and management incentive plans where he delivers conflict free, independent advice which is built on over a decade of experience.    

In addition to his founder and management advisory practice, James advises alternative investors of private capital such as family offices and privately held holding companies to execute on their M&A and investment strategies.

Given the blend of his practice and his deep experience across both founder/management-side transactions and alternative private capital transactions, James provides commercial and pragmatic advice around deal structures, shareholder governance terms and incentive plans to help clients with their value creation.

David Collins, Partner who is responsible for the Firm’s Business Advisory & Transaction Services Division, which includes the Corporate, Commercial, Banking and Finance, Corporate Tax and Incentives, Financial Services and Funds, Employment and Immigration teams, comments:  

James is widely recognised as a leading adviser to founders, management teams and non-institutional investors of private capital, whether they are exiting to private equity, investing alongside sponsors, or deploying capital to back sponsor-style deals. He is an exceptionally valuable addition to our Corporate team and adds real firepower to our fast-growing management advisory practice. We wish him a very warm welcome.

James Paterson comments: 

I am delighted to be joining Charles Russell Speechlys. The Firm is investing significantly in its corporate and transactional capabilities at present, boasting a market-leading reputation for private capital work and clear plans for growth. The Firm is also uniquely positioned in the market, with the ability to advise clients independently and free from conflicts with PE sponsors. This is something that very few firms can genuinely offer and is especially attractive given my client base and areas of practice.

James’s appointment follows several other transactional and advisory appointments in recent months. The Firm appointed Nadim Meer in May 2026, previously Mischon de Reya’s Head of Private Equity. The Firm also appointed funds and real estate Partner Ed Morgan and corporate tax and incentives Partner Vadim Romanoff in November 2025, as well as Partner and seasoned funds specialist Matthew Griffin in October 2025.