
Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2025
4 New Square Chambers Recognised in Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2025…
Jonathan is recognised as a leading junior with particular expertise in commercial litigation, international arbitration, public and human rights law and public international law. Jonathan is regularly instructed in high-profile and complex cases, particularly at the intersection of commercial law and public or international law. Jonathan is on the Attorney General’s B panel of counsel and has previously been nominated for ‘International Law Junior of the year’ at the Legal 500 Bar Awards.
The legal directories describe Jonathan as a “highly sought after practitioner”, a “thoroughly modern lawyer” and “a star in the making”. Jonathan is further recognised for his “clear and pragmatic” and “precise and thoughtful” advice on the “most complex issues”. As an advocate, Jonathan has been described as a “persuasive and charming”, and as having “terrier-like qualities”.
Jonathan’s clients are wide-ranging and include sovereign States (seven different States in the last eight years), UK Government departments (e.g. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Department for Business and Trade, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster), businesses and multinational corporations, high-net worth individuals and private parties, NGOs, civil society groups and international organisations. He combines a busy public and human rights law practice with a commercial and international law practice.
Jonathan has experience acting in cases before a variety of courts and tribunals, including: all levels of the English courts (High Court; Court of Appeal; Supreme Court); the courts of UK overseas territories; specialist domestic tribunals (Special Immigration Appeals Commission, Investigatory Powers Tribunal); international arbitration tribunals; the International Court of Justice; the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; the European Court of Human Rights; the International Criminal Court; internationalised tribunals such as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. He also has experience working on cases before UN Special Procedures (UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; UN Special Rapporteurs; UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances) and the UN Human Rights Council (e.g. during Universal Periodic Reviews).
Jonathan’s cases span a wide range of areas, from civil fraud and shareholder disputes, to jurisdiction challenges, group actions, international human rights and public law. He is experienced in cases raising questions of private international law and has acted in cases involving aspects of Anguillan, Bermudian, Brazilian, Cypriot, Caymanian, German, Greek, Falkland Islands, French, Iraqi, Korean, Kuwaiti, Mauritian and Spanish law. Recent examples of Jonathan’s practice include:
Jonathan commenced practice at the Bar in 2016. Prior to this, he worked as a consultant in international law and in the arbitration team at WilmerHale, London. He was also a Visiting Lecturer at King’s College London. In 2024, he was appointed as Constitutional Counsel to Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 2024, to advise on disallowance procedures in the overseas territories. He is also a Senior Legal Adviser with the Public International Law & Policy Group.
For additional details of Jonathan’s practice, please see the tabs below.
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Jonathan has a wide-ranging commercial practice that includes all aspects of commercial litigation, from civil fraud to the sale and supply of goods and services, jurisdiction challenges, shareholder disputes, product liability, sanctions and arbitration enforcement. He has wide sectoral experience, including in respect of banking and finance, mining, pharmaceuticals/healthcare, aviation and insurance.
Group and multiparty actions comprise an increasingly significant part of Jonathan’s commercial practice, particularly where cases involve jurisdiction challenges, questions of foreign law or parent company liability for transnational torts/torts committed abroad. See the Group Actions tab for further details.
Example cases include:
Jonathan has a substantial group and multi-party actions practice. He is particularly experienced in cases involving jurisdiction challenges, foreign law or parent company liability for transnational torts/torts committed abroad (both environmental claims and human rights claims). As to jurisdiction challenges and foreign law, in recent years, Jonathan has acted in:
Example cases include:
Jonathan has a broad international arbitration practice that includes commercial arbitration, investment disputes and international trade. He acts as counsel for commercial parties, private individuals and States in arbitrations under the LCIA, ICC, ICSID, UNCITRAL, AAA rules etc and in arbitration related court proceedings before the English courts. He further acts for States as legal counsel/legal adviser in respect of the negotiation of BITs and FTAs.
Example cases include:
Jonathan has a substantial public international law practice spanning all areas of public international law (e.g. law of the sea; the law of treaties; immunities; State responsibility; international criminal law; international environmental law; international organizations).
In addition to his international litigation practice, Jonathan has notable experience as legal counsel/legal adviser to States during high-stakes international negotiations and significant advisory projects, including in matters ranging from the negotiation of BITs and FTAs to maritime boundaries and constitutions.
Example cases include:
Jonathan has a substantial public law and human practice that includes both domestic public law / human rights and international human rights law.
Before the domestic courts, Jonathan frequently acts for UK Government departments in judicial reviews, in areas ranging from immigration to the environment, overseas territories, national security law and sanctions.
Internationally, Jonathan’s cases span the full range of international human rights law, from fair trial rights to same-sex marriage rights. Jonathan has notable experience in cases before the European Court of Human Rights as well as cases before the courts of UK overseas territories.
In 2024, Jonathan was appointed as Constitutional Counsel to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In this role he will advise the Secretary of State on the exercise of powers relating to disallowances and other constitutional related matters concerning the UK overseas territories.
Example cases include:
Legal 500“As an advocate, Jonathan possesses terrier-like qualities and he champions his clients and their causes with relentless passion both in and out of court. He is a thoroughly modern lawyer and a star in the making”
Legal 500“Jonathan is an excellent technical lawyer, precise and thoughtful. His extremely easy manner is appreciated by clients and lawyers alike.”
Legal 500“When it comes to complex inter-state disputes, he has an eye for strategy and is always thinking two steps ahead.”
legal 500“Jonathan’s advice is always accurate and takes into account the bigger picture of an issue.”
legal 500“Jonathan is an excellent technical lawyer, precise and thoughtful. His extremely easy manner is appreciated by clients and lawyers alike.”
legal 500“Jonathan has an in-depth knowledge of international law. He is very creative in terms of constructing legal arguments. He is well liked by clients and teams alike. He is a persuasive and charming advocate.”
Legal 500“Though light-hearted in manner, Jonathan is deeply serious about his work. A wise head on rather young shoulders.”
Legal 500“Commended by silks for the way he sparks off ideas.”
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4 New Square Chambers Recognised in Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2025…
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7th June 2024 - 8th June 2024
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15th May 2023 - 18th May 2023
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On Saturday, 3 October 2020, the parties to the Sudanese Peace Talks…
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