James Harper

Background

About James Harper

My career has been built on a drive and desire to combine my knowledge of the law with a pragmatic understanding of business and commerce. Working at LexisNexis, I also have the opportunity to prioritise the advancement and protection of the Rule of Law, both through my day-to-day work and the additional roles I undertake. Throughout my time as a lawyer in both private practice and in-house, I have worked with both large- and small-scale corporates, individuals and owner-run businesses, as well as volunteering in pro bono and other related settings. Access to the law and to legal advice is a key tenet of the Rule of Law and that has been at the heart of my career. I originally joined LexisNexis as the UK General Counsel and was elevated to its board after a year. In 2017, I took some time away from Legal to gain more experience in a mainstream business role. As the Director of Customer Success and Engagement, I led a team of c.40 people at the front-line of our customer facing operations. Together, we ensured that existing customers got the most value from our products and future customers made informed, objective decisions. I returned to a legal role at the start of 2021 as Director, Global Legal, giving me an opportunity to combine my knowledge and experience as a lawyer with the skills gained during my business positions. This included both day to day legal advisory work as well as leading our Global Legal Operations team. From May 2023, I am the Global Head of Legal for our Nexis Solutions business, sitting on the leadership team to provide strategic advice on key legal risks and growth plans and opportunities. This marks a return to board level legal advice and gives me the opportunity to leverage my previous roles to make an impact. I also act as the Executive Sponsor for LexisNexis UK's Rule of Law and CSR Programmes. We have consistently driven volunteering take-up at LNUK, and are now approaching pre-pandemic levels. Outside of LN, I serve as a Trustee and Director of the London Legal Support Trust and as a Parton for the International Law Book Facility. These independent charities help to ensure that the Rule of Law is advanced both in the UK and around the world, and it is a privilege to play my part to help.