Jonathan specialises in resolving professional negligence claims and has done so for over 20 years. In that time, he has acted on claims against a wide range of professionals including solicitors, accountants, insurance brokers, financial advisers, surveyors, structural engineers, project managers, estate agents, health & safety consultants and IT consultants.
Having previously defended such claims for professional indemnity insurers, Jonathan now acts exclusively for claimants and uninsured defendants, both in relation to claims and any policy disputes arising from them.
Due to his background experience, and because he acts for both claimants and defendants, Jonathan possesses a rare appreciation of the issues and pitfalls that arise in professional negligence claims. This enables him to provide his clients with intelligent solutions, aimed at resolving claims as favourably and efficiently as possible.
Expertise
- Professional negligence claims
- Professional indemnity policy disputes
- ADR, including mediation
Experience
- Acted in a £32m claim against solicitors following the failure of the CVA of a well-known fashion house.
- Acted in a £2.4m claim against accountants following an audit that failed to report fraud by a managing director.
- Acted in a £2.1m claim against insurance brokers following a hotel fire and the declining of insurance cover.
- Acted in a £160,000 claim against financial advisers following the loss of income and capital expected from a private investment portfolio.
- Acted in a £350,000 claim against surveyors arising from a failure to correctly value residential property.
- Acted in a £10.4m claim against project managers following the redevelopment of an exclusive country house hotel.
- Acted in a £3m claim against structural engineers following the demolition of property after a gas explosion and fire.
- Acted in a £650,000 claim against auditors who failed to discover theft and cheque fraud committed by a dishonest accounts clerk.
- Acted in a £75,000 claim against conveyancing solicitors whose errors delayed the sale of an exclusive London flat.
- Acted in a £1m claim against health & safety consultants following the mortality of a minor at prestigious office premises.
- Acted in a £850,000 claim against insurance brokers in connection with advice on business interruption insurance which failed to provide sufficient cover.
- Acted in a £1.8m claim against solicitors in relation to the mis-drafting of a commercial lease for a golf course.
- Acted in a £500,000 claim against accountants arising from the unlawful distribution of estate monies under a lasting power of attorney.
- Acted in a £1.5m claim against financial advisers, solicitors and accountants in relation to erroneous pension advice about the Lifetime Allowance.
- Acted in a £180,000 claim against litigation solicitors who failed to obtain the appropriate charge for securing a judgment debt.
- Acted in a £1.85m claim against conveyancing solicitors where legal difficulties arose following the purchase of development land.
- Acted in a £50,000 claim against insurance brokers who failed to disclose material information about the policyholder’s commercial operations.
- Acted in a £3m claim against solicitors and surveyors in connection with the re-financing arrangements for a coastal holiday park.
- Acted in a £95,000 claim against solicitors and counsel after court proceedings were issued despite being time-barred.
- Acted in a £10.5m professional negligence claim against accountants and solicitors in connection with the loss of tax relief available on an investment made under the Enterprise Investment Scheme.
- Acted in a £650,000 professional negligence claim against insurance brokers arising from the misrepresentation of material facts about commercial laundry premises damaged by fire.
- Acted in a £250,000 professional negligence claim against a financial adviser (in administration) and its professional indemnity insurers under the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010, in connection with erroneous pension investment advice.
- Acted in a £155,000 professional negligence claim against an agronomist after erroneous advice as to crop rotation and the application of insecticide resulted in the failure of a carrot crop.
- Acted in a £70,000 professional negligence claim against building contractors in connection with passive fire stopping installations at a residential care home facility.
- Acted in a £150,000 professional negligence claim against conveyancing solicitors arising from a boundary dispute following infill residential development.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Top ranked by Chambers UK (2025) for Professional Negligence (Band 1): Jonathan is noted as being ‘a specialist in his area’ and for his attention to detail which is ‘top class’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2025) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is praised for his ‘expert knowledge’ in this area of law and for presenting arguments that best represent his client’s interests.
Top ranked by Chambers UK (2024) for Professional Negligence (Band 1): Jonathan is noted as being ‘highly intelligent, experienced and focused’ and for being ‘fully in command of the details’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2024) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is acknowledged as an ‘expert in his field’ and for being ‘extremely diligent, practical and professional in his approach.’
Ranked by Chambers UK (2023) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is praised for being ‘technically excellent’ and for his ‘diligence, thoroughness and calm personal manner’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2023) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is recognised for providing ‘high-quality legal advice and negotiation skills’ and described as ‘an outstanding professional’.
Ranked by Chambers UK (2022) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is recorded as acting for clients in claims against a variety of professionals, including insurance brokers, solicitors and accountants.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2022) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is regarded as ‘a very experienced professional negligence specialist’ and ‘highly effective in settlement negotiations’.
Ranked by Chambers UK (2021) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is complimented for having ‘a concise and clear communication style’ and for the way in which he ‘demonstrates total attention to detail’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2021) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is credited for the way in which he ‘leverages his previous experience working for leading professional indemnity insurers to represent businesses and high-net-worth individuals’.
Ranked by Chambers UK (2020) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is praised for being ‘diligent, clear and concise’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2020) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is credited for his ‘substantial experience’ and for the ‘extra insight’ he has to offer clients.
Ranked by Chambers UK (2019) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is noted for advising claimants and uninsured defendants in various professional negligence claims and policy disputes where ‘clients benefit from his experience in defending claims for professional indemnity insurers’.
Ranked by Chambers UK (2018) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is recorded as being ‘very pleasant, patient and understanding’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2017) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is applauded for his ‘superb eye for detail and commercial mind’ and for ‘always thinking one step ahead’.
Recommended by The Legal 500 (2016) for Professional Negligence: Jonathan is described as ‘fantastic’.
In addition, Jonathan is a certified member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association.
Career
Jonathan qualified as a solicitor in 2003. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2017, he worked at the following firms:
- Bond Dickinson
- Mills & Reeve
- DAC Beachcroft