“John thinks outside the box and has a creative, tactically astute, and innovative approach. He puts clients at their ease.”
Legal 500, 2022
John read law at St John’s College, Cambridge then completed pupillage in these Chambers in 2000. Since then he has worked tirelessly for clients in the areas of injury and employment in the North West and beyond.
After 16 years at St John’s Buildings and five years on the South Eastern Circuit in East Anglia, he now returns to St John’s Buildings to continue in his core areas of specialism.
Personal injury
John is an experienced personal injury specialist and accepts instructions in a broad range of Multi-track injury matters (road traffic, work accidents and public liability claims) but has become best known for motor fraud cases, including fraud rings, staged accidents, those that never happened, and bogus passenger claims. He is the preferred counsel for a number of large insurers in this area. Credit hire is also a topic regularly covered in John’s road traffic practice.
John’s employers’ liability practice covers spinal and subtle brain injury, for claimants and defendants, as well as the full range of more prosaic work-related injury, for example lifting and falling. He has also provided advice and representation in industrial disease claims for over a decade (deafness, asbestos, respiratory conditions, skin disorders and upper limb conditions/RSI). All aspects of these claims are handled from pre-litigation advice through to CCMCs, trial and costs.
Public liability claims have recently included fireworks display burns, animal bites and crushes, ice slipping accidents, product liability matters and school claims.
Latterly John has become the preferred Counsel for a number of public bodies and local authorities, representing and advising them in both County Court and High Court proceedings.
Employment
John has an established employment practice focusing principally on unfair dismissal, discrimination and whistleblowing at ET and EAT level.
Commercial clients include both private enterprises and PLCs.
John is regularly instructed in long, high value discrimination claims with high success rates, one example being an award of nearly £100,000 for a probation officer with depression who was overworked, unsupported and harassed.
He recently advised on a whistleblowing claim against a government department, then provided representation at the judicial mediation to achieve a settlement of nearly £300,000.
John has represented a broad range of clients from police officers to GPs, tech workers to craftsmen, agricultural workers to lawyers and including clients with significant disabilities requiring sensitivity, understanding and clear communication (for example Asperger’s, depression and brain injury).
Clinical negligence
John has recently been recognised for his expertise in this area by Legal 500: ‘John thinks outside the box and has a creative, tactically astute, and innovative approach. He puts clients at their ease. ’
By way of example, John recently negotiated a settlement for Claimant at a round table meeting for £300,000.
Legal directory recommendations
“Puts clients at ease whilst remaining authoritative, as well as astute and technically excellent.” Legal 500 2021
“A strong cross-examiner” Legal 500 2019
Client testimonial
“I would like to thank you for representing us at the meeting yesterday. It was a tremendous help to us to have your advice and encouragement, which led to a successful outcome which exceeded our expectations.” – Client
