Overview
James practises in all areas of revenue law. His practice includes advice and litigation in the following areas: personal tax, corporate tax, VAT and other indirect taxes.
A copy of James' privacy notice can be found here.
Recent cases
Recent cases include MJP Media (Upper Tribunal); Forde & McHugh Ltd (Upper Tribunal); Icebreaker 1 LLP (Upper Tribunal); Class IV GLO (Court of Appeal); Huitson & Shiner (Court of Appeal); Trustees of the BT Pension Scheme (First-Tier Tribunal).
Publications
Regular contributor of articles to specialist tax journals
Contributor to Potter and Monroe’s Tax Planning with Precedents and Atkins Court Forms (Revenue) (2007 Issue)
Author of the statutory construction and Ramsay chapters of Simon’s Direct Tax Service
James lectures regularly on all aspects of tax
Directory quotes
The Chambers Guide
Tax: Corporate Tax
Ranking: Band 3
“He is a brilliant advocate who has a fantastic client manner and encyclopaedic knowledge of tax law.” “He has pizzazz as an advocate and a lot of personal charm.” (2022)
“He is very pleasant and his written work is good.” “A very effective and knowledgeable individual.” (2021)
“Extremely good and very persuasive.” “He’s very enthusiastic and super bright.” (2020)
Tax: Private Client
Ranking: Band 2
“Absolutely brilliant with clients, he is so detailed and he looks at things from a million different angles.” “His technical ability and fantastic client manner are both impressive.” (2022)
“James is excellent. He is very personable and a clear advocate.” (2021)
“An absolute star on the tax advisory side, he is so in demand these days that it would be helpful if he were cloned.” (2020)
Tax: Indirect Tax
Ranking: Band 3
“He is especially user-friendly and is mindful of internal client management issues.” (2022)
“A very practical man who completely understands the situation from the solicitor’s point of view.” (2021)
“He’s super user-friendly and very able.” “Hugely clever and a brilliant advocate.” (2020)
Family/Matrimonial: Trusts/Tax Experts
Ranking: Band 1
“He’s approachable and is a real asset on family cases with complicated tax issues as he has the ability to make tax law understandable.” “James is a go-to for matrimonial disputes with tax issues.” (2022)
“The person you go to for a tax issue in the family area. He is extremely personable, gets straight to the point and gives incredibly clear advice.” (2021)
“His advice is sound in all cases. He is thorough, confidence-giving and authoritative.” (2020)
The Legal 500
Tax: Corporate
Ranking: 2019 Silk, Tier 1
‘He is a tenacious litigator and someone who pursues his case with vigour.’ (2021)
‘He is tenacious and argues his cases convincingly.’ (2020)
‘He has an incisive perspective, a good eye for detail.’ (2019)
Private Client: Personal Tax
Ranking: 2019 Silk, Tier 1
‘Approachable, engages really well with lay clients (makes the law interesting and relevant to them), engenders a great partnership with the solicitor as he is always happy for us to ring up with questions later.’ (2021)
‘Explains complicated matters very well.’ (2020)
‘He is frighteningly intelligent and extremely well liked by opponents and judges alike.’ (2019)
Chambers and Partners High Net Worth
Tax: Private Client
Ranking: Band 2
James Rivett KC is “really good,” says a source; “he really knows his stuff on the private client side. He’s really good to work with.” Another source says: “He has an incredible ability to be incisive, his mind is like a knife through butter.” A client reports that “he’s one of the most knowledgeable people in the field. He’s lovely and everyone adores him.” (2022)
“He has a wonderful manner about him,” says one industry source, while another source describes him as “very articulate” and “very bright.” Several interviewees comment on his advocacy style, with one interviewee observing: “James is excellent. He is very personable and a clear advocate.” (2021)
James Rivett KC took silk in 2019, and remains a popular choice among private practice solicitors and with the Revenue for tax advisory work and litigation. Fellow counsel says he is “very thorough, very personable, good with clients and an effective advocate.” An instructing solicitor considers Rivett “an absolute star on the tax advisory side, but in such demand these days it would be helpful if he could be cloned.” (2020)
Memberships
Chancery Bar Association
Revenue Bar Association
VAT Practitioner’s Group
International Fiscal Association
Career & education
Career
Called 2004 (Lincoln’s Inn)
Feb 2009 – Appointed Junior Counsel to the Crown – “C” panel
Dec 2013 – Appointed Consultant Lecturer, Sotheby’s Institute of Art
March 2014 – Appointed Junior Counsel to the Crown – “B” panel
September 2017 – Appointed Junior Counsel to the Crown – “A” panel
March 2019 – KC
Education
MA (Cantab)(Starred Double First), Clare College, Cambridge
MPhil, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Postgraduate Diploma in Law, City University, London (Lord Bowen Scholarship and Hardwicke Award, Lincoln’s Inn, 11 King’s Walk prize for Public Law, City University)
Bar Vocational Course (Lord Denning Scholarship, Lincoln’s Inn)