James Ngotho Kariuki is an Associate in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group of IKM.
He has been involved in a number of local, regional and international aspects of litigation, arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms pertaining to employment and labour law, commercial law, tax law, constitutional law, corporate law, insolvency and bankruptcy law, succession law, criminal law, competition Law, defamation law, intellectual property law, international law, personal injury and insurance law, land and environmental law and has gained exposure and experience in in the above aspects of the practice including but not limited to, drafting pleadings and court attendance, preparation and adjudicating over arbitration proceedings, hosting and attending mediations and adjudications as well as advising and writing on the above areas.
Experience has included advising:
- As a team member, on various arbitrations that the firm is handling. He has assisted in the drafting of key legal documents used in arbitration as well as provided legal opinions on procedural aspects of the arbitration process and the governing law on the same as well as the applicability of the same to arbitration proceedings;
- As a team member, on employment matters including termination of employment contracts by way of redundancy He has aided in the construction of employment contracts for both local and international companies as rendering opinions on termination of employment documents in various employment briefs;
- As a team member, counsel in prosecuting and defending matters for several leading insurance companies in Kenya in respect of a range of claims, including the defence of industrial accidents, road traffic accident claims, material damage claims and outlay recovery;
- As a team member, on the institution and defence of commercial disputes. This entailed drafting legal opinions and pleadings;
- As a team member, in mediations pertaining to debt recovery as well as employment and commercial disputes;
- As a team member, counsel in prosecuting and defending debt recovery claims for several banking and financial institutions, private entities and individuals. These briefs included, drawing legal opinions and drafting court documents;
- As a team member, on claims against leading media companies for defamation. He has also taken part in rendering opinions to these institutions; and
- As a team member, on matters relating to banking institutions and their exercise of their statutory power of sale. This has entailed the rendering of legal opinions and the negotiation of out of court settlements.
Professional Qualifications
- Law Society of Kenya, Advocate, (2020)
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), Fellow (FCIArb) (2018)
- Mediation Training Institute (MTI), Certified Professional Mediator (CPM), (2017).
Education
- Strathmore Law School, Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) (2017)
- Kenya School of Law, Diploma in Law (2019)
- University of Nairobi School of Law, Master of Laws (LL.M) (2019)
Prior Experience
- Jan 2020 – Date, Associate in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group, DLA Piper Africa - Iseme, Kamau & Maema Advocates.
- Jan 2019 – Dec 2019, Pupil, DLA Piper Africa - Iseme, Kamau & Maema Advocates
Memberships
- Chair, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Kenya) Young Members Group
- Member, Law Society of Kenya
- Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK)
- Member, African Arbitration Association (AFAA)
- Member, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA)- Young International Arbitration Group (YIAG)
- Member, Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (Young ICCA)
- Member, International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitrators Forum (ICC YAF)