Please join us in welcoming James to the Willow Street team.

As Willow Street’s assistant general counsel, James helps advise the firm on legal matters and is a resource for the Client Services, Client Strategy, and Client Integration teams. James brings thoughtful and nuanced perspectives on corporate governance, risk management, and business planning and augments Willow Street’s capacity to provide experiential guidance in the implementation and administration of client entities and plans.

Prior to joining Willow Street, James served as corporate counsel for Toyota Tsusho America, a Toyota Group company, in New York. Earlier, he practiced general corporate law at Milbank LLP in New York and Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in Seattle. He has advised on a wide range of matters, including early-stage investments in battery and clean energy companies. He began his legal career as an associate at Milbank LLP based in New York, where he focused on private M&A transactions and corporate governance.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, James earned a BA in English Literature from Middlebury College and a JD from New York University School of Law. James enjoys hiking, skiing, and long-distance running.

What’s the favorite place you have traveled to and why?

Chamonix, France. I’ve visited several times, both in the summer to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc and in the winter to ski. The combination of mountains, history, culture, and food in Chamonix is hard to beat.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

After a road trip to Livingston, Montana, I read the “Legends of the Fall” trilogy by Jim Harrison. The stories are largely set in Montana and Harrison once lived in Livingston, so the trip provided a good backdrop for reading his novels.