James Bourne

James helps clients maintain credibility, articulate value and achieve results in high-stakes situations, particularly in challenging or dynamic business, policy or regulatory environments. He has advised of the world’s largest companies as they navigate rapidly changing industry environments and face complex threats. In his transaction work, he has supported dozens of mergers and acquisitions with a total value of more than $160 billion. His experience also includes advising clients facing public short attacks, dissenting founders and contentious proxy contests with formidable shareholder activists, including Elliott Management, JANA Partners and Starboard Value. 

He develops and implements targeted stakeholder-driven litigation communication strategies designed to drive tangible legal and business outcomes for clients. His experience includes clients facing major class action lawsuits, shareholder lawsuits, executive employment disputes, FCPA investigations, qui tam complaints under the False Claims Act, #MeToo and sexual harassment investigations and litigations, and competitive disputes relating to false advertising, unfair competition, federal and state antitrust concerns, breach of contract, theft of trade secrets, and intellectual property matters. 

Representative experience also includes advising Google on corporate communications and public affairs matters; the Oversight Board (Meta) on global positioning and reputation management; Univision on its $4.8 billion acquisition of Grupo Televisa’s content assets; Edison International in wildfire response, wildfire litigation, and a statewide campaign to reform the way California addresses wildfire prevention, suppression, and liabilities in the face of climate change; and a respected higher-ed institution as it separated with a faculty member involved in the events of January 6, 2021. 

James is a Page Up member of the Arthur W. Page Society, the premier global professional association for senior strategic communication leaders.