James Scoville is of counsel in the London office of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. Mr. Scoville’s practice focuses on securities matters and capital markets transactions. He advises both issuers and underwriters in U.S.-registered and global offerings, with particular experience working on listings on Nasdaq, NYSE and the LSE by emerging market and other companies, as well as representing insurance companies and underwriters in insurance company securities offerings.
Mr. Scoville is recommended in The Legal 500 UK (2024) for his insurance-related work and for his work in emerging markets. The guide has also previously described him as a “pragmatic” and “detailed-oriented” lawyer and as “a hard-working, smart and result-oriented guy,” noting “when you need a pragmatic view, he takes it.” IFLR1000 (2022) recommends Mr. Scoville for Capital Markets: Debt and M&A. His work on China Life has earned him the plaudit of “Dealmaker of the Year” from The American Lawyer.
Mr. Scoville is the author of a number of articles. Recent publications include “Breaking Down The UK's Draft Updates To Prospectus Regime,” Law360 (September, 2023); “Debevoise & Plimpton Discusses SEC Guidance on Ukraine Disclosure Obligations,” The CLS Blue Sky Blog (May, 2022); “UK Proposals to Reform Listing Rules to Attract SPACs and Technology Companies,” Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (May, 2021); “Q&A: Bet-Mansour and Scoville on Spacs & PE,” Unquote (April, 2021); “What Growing Focus On ESG Means For Insurers,” Law360 (January, 2021); and “Business Interruption Judgement Handed Down in the UK,” ANZIIF Members’ Centre (September, 2020).
Mr. Scoville has also co-authored a number of chapters in industry handbooks. These include the UK chapter in the Insurance & Reinsurance Practice Guide, published by Chambers & Partners, the UK chapter in the Insurance & Reinsurance guide published by Lexology Getting the Deal Through, and the UK chapter in the Insurance and Reinsurance guide as part of the PLC Global Guides series.
Mr. Scoville’s recent speaking engagements include “U.S. Public Markets and the Potential Lessons They Hold for Europe,” 2017 Global Capital Markets Conference (December, 2017); “IPO Preparation and Corporate Governance,” LSEG Capital Markets Conference (July, 2017); “UK and European Insurance Regulatory Developments,” PLI Webinar (February, 2017); “Executing Capital Markets Deals Across the U.S. and Europe – Practical Pointers and Market Trends,” Sixteenth Annual Institute on Securities Regulation in Europe: Practical Implications of US Law on EU Practice (January, 2017); “EU: Solvency II and Implications for Private Investment Funds,” SAM Roundtables (October, 2016); “New Investment Opportunities in EU Bank Assets Arising from an Evolving Regulatory Landscape,” BVCA Summit – Breakfast Roundtable (October, 2016); “Taking Stock -- Brexit, and what we have learned so far,” Global Reinsurance Webinar (September, 2016); and “South Africa's New Solvency Assessment and Management (SAM) and the Impact on Investment Funds: The Experience from Solvency II,” SAM Roundtable (September, 2016).
Mr. Scoville served as Managing Partner for Debevoise’s London office from 2005 to 2013. He received his A.B. cum laude from Dartmouth in 1983 and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1987, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.
司文杰（James Scoville）律师是本所的公司事务合伙人，其执业领域集中于证券事务和资本市场交易。司文杰律师在美国和全球发行交易中为发行人及承销商提供法律建议，尤其在为来自俄罗斯、中国和其他新兴市场的企业在伦敦证券交易所和美国交易所的上市事宜具备丰富经验，并且代表保险公司和承销商进行保险公司证券发行。
司文杰律师因其在新兴市的工作获得《英国法律500强》（2023年）的推荐；因其在俄罗斯资本市场的工作被《全球钱伯斯》（2022年）和《欧洲钱伯斯》（2021年）评为杰出律师。客户表示他是一位“优秀的资本市场合伙人律师，拥有数十年的丰富知识和经验。他总是以高效、务实和明确的建议积极地回应客户”。该两指南此前曾描述他为一位“务实”且“注重细节“的律师，是“一个勤奋、智慧、注重结果的人”，“当你需要的是实用的建议时，他都心领神会。”《国际金融法律评论1000》（2023年）将司文杰律师评为“资本市场：债务与并购”领域的推荐律师。司文杰为中国人寿上市提供法律服务，荣膺《美国律师》“年度最佳交易律师”。
司文杰律师已发表多篇文章，近年的发表包括： “德普讨论美国证券交易委员会关于乌克兰披露义务的指南” ，《The CLS Blue Sky Blog》（2022年5月）；“英国关于改革上市规则以吸引 SPAC和科技公司的提案”，哈佛法学院公司治理论坛（2021年5月）；“问答：Bet-Mansour和 Scoville谈SPAC和私募股权”，Unquote (2021年4月)；“对 ESG（环境、社会和公司治理）日益增长的关注对于保险公司意味着什么”，《法律360》 （2021年1月）和 “英国下达关于营业中断的判决”，澳纽保险金融学会会员中心（2020年9月）。
司文杰律师还共同撰写行业手册中的的多个章节，其中包括钱伯斯出版的《保险与再保险实务指南》中的英国章节、Lexology Getting the Deal Through出版的《保险与再保险实务指南》中的英国章节和以及作为 PLC 全球指南系列的一部分的保险和再保险指南中的英国章节。
司文杰律师近期发表的演讲包括：“美国公开市场及其可能带给欧洲的教训”，2017全球资本市场大会（2017年12月）；“俄罗斯及独联体IPO的复苏？展望2018”，俄罗斯及独联体年度资本市场大会（2017年11月）；“IPO上市准备和公司治理”，LSEG资本市场大会（2017年7月）；“英国和欧洲保险监管动态”，PLI网络研讨会（2017年2月）；“在全美和全欧洲执行资本市场交易——实用建议和市场走向”，第16届欧洲证券监管年会：美国法律对欧洲惯例的实际影响（2017年1月）；“欧盟：偿2标准及其对私募投资基金的影响”，SAM圆桌会议（2016年10月）；“变化中的监管形势带来投资欧盟银行资产新机遇”，BVCA峰会——早餐圆桌会议（2016年10月）；“统观——英国脱欧及相关讨论”，全球再保险网络研讨会（2016年9月）；“金融服务业经营与监管的关键问题”，德普律师事务所（2016年9月）；“南非的新“偿付能力评估与管理（SAM）”及对投资基金的影响：源自偿2的经验”，SAM圆桌会议（2016年9月）。
司文杰律师于2005年至2013年期间担任德普律师事务所伦敦分所的主管合伙人。1983年，他以优异成绩获得达特茅斯学院文学学士学位，1987年于芝加哥大学法学院获得法学博士学位，在校时当选为白帽协会荣誉会员（the Order of the Coif）。