James Lawford Davies

Solicitor (England & Wales)

James is a founding partner of LDMH and a leading expert on regulatory matters.

James has always worked in the health sector. After qualifying as a solicitor in 2000 he became increasingly specialised in the regulation of assisted reproduction and embryo research, and subsequently in broader human tissue and cell based therapies and research. He later joined the litigation team at Clifford Chance before setting up his own niche life sciences firm in 2010. James co-founded Lawford Davies & Co in 2022 which became LDMH Partners in 2024.

James advises a large number of clinics, hospitals, universities and researchers licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC). He has been involved in most of the leading cases relating to assisted reproduction, embryo and stem cell research. He also advises on cell and gene therapies, and on the regulation of medical devices and IVD’s.

James is an experienced litigator and has been involved in cases at every level in the UK courts. Much of his work concerns the judicial review of regulatory bodies, and cases arising as a result of regulatory action.

In addition to his private practice, James was previously a lecturer in law and medicine at the University of Newcastle and a visiting research fellow at Durham University Law School. He is now a honorary lecturer in the department of biochemical engineering at University College London.

James lectures widely on his specialist topics, both in the UK and internationally.

Besides assisting our clients in dispute resolution matters, Nils has advised biobanks, large-scale research clusters, and clinical trials with a particular focus on research governance, consent aspects, and cross-border issues. He also provides advice on ethical issues in biomedical research and innovation, and has assisted in tricky applications to research ethics committees, animal welfare committees, and institutional review boards.

Notable cases

Acting for Ted Jennings in his successful application to use a stored embryo with a surrogate following the unexpected death of his wife, and in the absence of specific consent (Jennings v HFEA [2022] EWHC 1619)
Acting for University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in relation to their successful application for permission to use a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of sporadic CJD in circumstances where the drug had never been tested in humans (UCLH NHS Foundation Trust v KG [2018] EWCOP 29)
Acting for IVF Hammersmith Limited in their successful defence of a claim for breach of contract and the costs of raising an unwanted, healthy child following the forgery of the Claimant’s signature by his ex partner (ARB v IVF Hammersmith & R [2017] EWHC 2438 (QB) and [2018] EWCA Civ 2803 (CA))
Advising the Francis Crick Institute in relation to their successful application for a licence to conduct germline gene editing in human embryos
Acting for BMI Healthcare Limited and their former patient, Samantha Jefferies, in her successful application for a declaration that the amendment of her late husband’s consent was invalid, enabling their embryos to remain in storage (Jefferies v BMI Healthcare Ltd & HFEA [2016] EWHC 2493 (Fam))
Representing Elizabeth Warren in her successful application for a declaration that it would be lawful for her late husband’s gametes to remain in storage for up to 55 years (Warren v CARE Northampton Ltd & HFEA [2014] EWHC 602 (Fam))
Advising two IVF clinics in relation to their successful challenge to the HFEA’s decision to impose a condition on their licences relating to multiple birth rates (ARGC & RGI v HFEA [2013] EWHC 3087 (Admin))
Acting for Kings College London and Newcastle University in relation to a judicial review of licences granted for the creation of cytoplasmic human-animal hybrid embryos for stem cell research purposes (R (on the application of Quintavalle and the Christian Legal Centre) v HFEA [2008] EWHC 3395 (Admin))
Giving invited oral evidence to the UK House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee review of ‘Law and Reproductive Technologies’ in 2004
Advising Amicus Healthcare Ltd (now BMI Healthcare) and Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust in relation to an unsuccessful application and appeals by a patient to use stored embryos notwithstanding the withdrawal of her former partner’s consent (Evans v Amicus Healthcare Ltd & Ors [2004] EWCA Civ 727)