James Franklin

James is Head of Operations at L-EV8. He has created and worked on online brand protection services for IP law and corporate service firms. He holds degrees from the universities of York and St Andrews.

After completing his undergraduate studies, James worked as a paralegal at a top IP firm. While there, he helped create a major brand protection offering and was involved at every stage of product development, from the concept stage up to the onboarding of multiple clients. James led the firm’s analyst team, liaised with a major third-party brand protection service provider, and invented bespoke business practices to meet clients’ unique needs.

James then worked as a brand protection analyst at an international corporate service provider, before returning to his academic studies. He was named to the dean’s list with distinction honours at the University of St Andrews for his Master of Letters research, which investigated the causal links between mass emigration and violent crime in modern South African history.

Following his MLitt graduation, James joined his former colleague Nish to found L-EV8.

  • BA Hons (York); MLitt (St Andrews).

  • In business, James has experience in operations and business process development, website design and social media management, cross-organisation co-operation, training and leading efficient teams, and client communication. His academic specialisms involve causal analyses of complex human systems - examining why people act the way they do throughout history - using written, oral, and pictoral sources, from government archives and official documents to media publications and personal memoirs.

  • James has a passion for film and literature, with particular interest in genres including history, philosophy, contemporary politics, and speculative fiction. He has strong cultural and familial ties to South Africa. He also maintains a robust weightlifting routine, largely so that he can continue to keep up with his two younger brothers.