Portrait of James Pemberton

James Pemberton

Partner

London

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School, J.D. (2007)
  • Brown University, A.B. (2002)

Certifications

  • Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP)
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

James Pemberton is a trusted counselor to corporations and senior executives under government investigation. His practice spans FCPA enforcement, DOJ antitrust investigations, securities enforcement proceedings, and complex civil litigation arising from parallel criminal matters.

James served for ten years as a federal prosecutor, including as Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section at Main Justice, giving him unparalleled insight into government investigation strategy and prosecutorial decision-making.

He is recognized by Chambers USA, Legal 500, and Best Lawyers and is a frequent commentator on regulatory enforcement trends for The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Law.

Bar Admissions

  • Florida (2009)
  • Texas (2012)

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Notable Matters

  • Advised SPAC on $1.1B de-SPAC merger and PIPE financing
  • Negotiated landmark licensing agreement for major streaming platform

Cases

  • Brightline Energy v. FERC, 78 F.4th 221 (D.C. Cir. 2023)

Professional

  • American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • American Bar Association

Community

  • Habitat for Humanity NYC — Volunteer Counsel
  • Best Lawyers in America (2022–2024)
  • Super Lawyers — Top 100 New York Metro (2023)
  • Benchmark Litigation — Litigation Star (2024)

Articles

  • "The Quiet Revolution in Section 220 Books-and-Records Demands", Del. J. Corp. L. (2023)
  • "Privacy by Design in M&A Due Diligence", IAPP Privacy Advisor (2023)

Presentations

  • Speaker, "Generative AI and Attorney Work-Product", ABA Tech Show 2024