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James Haydock is an Executive at ENS in the Dispute Resolution practice.

James has a particular interest and expertise in matters relating to renewable energy, having acted in cases involving wind farms, solar farms and South Africa’s leading biogas waste-to-energy project.

James has been involved in all aspects of renewable energy projects, from advising on the underlying contracts, advising clients through the construction process, advising on the calling of security in the form of parent company guarantees and performance bonds, and running large arbitrations to resolve disputes, including in relation to delays and liquidated damages.

James has also instituted and defended numerous urgent applications in the High Court of South Africa, and has run both applications and trial proceedings for clients across different sectors of the economy, including in the mining sector, the aviation sector and administrative law matters relating, in particular, to the breakdown of municipal infrastructure for the supply of water and electricity.

James is an accredited mediator (since 2013), and has a strong focus on finding innovative resolutions to matters wherever possible, in addition to litigating where necessary.

James is also admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales, where he worked between 2001 and 2006 at the Insolvency Service, the Companies Investigation Branch of the UK Department of Trade & Industry, and at a commercial law firm.

James is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• Legal 500 EMEA 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 – Dispute Resolution (South Africa)
• Best Lawyers® 2023, 2022, 2017, 2016  – Litigation (South Africa)