James practiced trusts and estates law for eighteen years before co-founding Evenhold. He joined the firm because he was tired of drafting documents that clients never revisited, and he wanted estate planning to live inside the ongoing conversation rather than in a binder on a shelf.

He leads the firm’s estate and legacy practice, working alongside each family’s own attorneys on trust design, business succession, charitable structures and the practical work of preparing heirs. He holds a JD and an LL.M. in taxation.

James is a frequent speaker on family governance and a patient teacher of the unglamorous details, like titling and beneficiary designations, that decide whether a plan actually works.