James McCarthy

Co-Founder
07713 640152
About James

James is a co-founder of the Corvus Group and a broadly skilled, solutions-driven solicitor with extensive start-up, in-house and top-tier private practice experience.

In addition to managing Corvus Group, James advises clients in the PE, VC and broader asset management industries across the full spectrum of legal and regulatory issues via Corvus Group’s advisory business, Corvus Advisory. James works closely with his clients to identify and capitalise on new business opportunities and develop pragmatic, commercially sensitive yet legally robust solutions which drive growth, manage risk and promote operational efficiencies.

Prior to co-founding Corvus in September 2019, James was the General Counsel of a VC backed, alternative investment marketing business. Before assuming that role, James headed the legal team of a large, independent, closed-ended fund administration business, having spent the first decade of his career in private practice in the City. Qualifying in September 2006 and initially practising as a general finance lawyer with Taylor Wessing, James moved to leading US firm Latham & Watkins in 2011 to focus on leveraged acquisitions. His time at Latham included a six month secondment as the sole deal execution lawyer on Deutsche Bank’s London-based leveraged finance desk.

James holds a LLB from the University of Leeds and completed the LPC at the College of Law (now the University of Law). James qualified as a ski instructor in Canada in 2011 and is also a keen cyclist and guitarist.

Earlybird instructed Corvus to advise in connection with the establishment of its UK office, obtaining regulatory authorisation for the UK office from the FCA and the UK office’s sub-lease. Corvus also provide ongoing compliance advice. Corvus take a proactive, technical yet pragmatic approach to their advice and have worked closely and efficiently with Earlybird team members, our other advisers and our counterparties to deliver results.

Vincenzo Narciso
Partner Earlybird

“We’ve worked with Corvus on a range of matters including business as usual legal/operational support and transactional work. As a closed-ended funds specialist, Corvus understood our business from the start and were able to provide tailored, solution focused, risk adjusted advice. When picking external counsel to assist with a recent transaction, we had no hesitation in choosing Corvus.”

Rob Shaw
CFO Apera Asset Management

“Corvus worked closely with Federated Hermes Private Markets (formerly Hermes GPE) between February 2020 and August 2021. Corvus hit the ground running and quickly developed a deep understanding of our culture, commercial drivers and risk appetite, blending seamlessly with our investment, finance and tax functions. Corvus really felt like an in-house team and their practical, solutions-focussed advice was highly valued by the business.”

Karen Sands
COO Federated Hermes Private Markets

“Corvus have provided advice to us in connection with our cross-border client distribution exercises for a number of years. While this is a complex area with some significant grey space, Corvus aren’t afraid to take a view on difficult issues and suggest practical, operational outputs.”

Warren Hibbert
Managing Partner Asante Capital Group