PROFILE
John has a wide-ranging commercial litigation and international arbitration practice. He appears before the English courts and has appeared as sole advocate before the General Court of the European Union. His litigation experience includes civil fraud, freezing orders, banking and finance, energy and EU sanctions. He acts in commercial and investor-State arbitration under the ICC, LCIA and ICSID rules, including as leading counsel. His cases frequently span several jurisdictions, raising issues of foreign law, public and private international law, and cross-border enforcement.
His recent cases include:
- Naomi Campbell v Charity Commission — her appeal, brought out of time, against disqualification as a charity trustee, allowed in 2026.
- ENRC v Director of the Serious Fraud Office, Dechert LLP and David Neil Gerrard — ENRC's USD 290 million claim arising from the SFO's discontinued criminal investigation, concluded in 2026.
- Unitel SA v Unitel International Holdings BV and dos Santos — acting for Isabel dos Santos in defence of a GBP 580 million Commercial Court claim, raising issues of English, Angolan and Portuguese law.
- Cyprus Popular Bank v Hellenic Republic — the ICSID award obtained against Greece in 2021, upheld on Greece's annulment application in 2022.
- Yanukovych v Council — the annulment of EU sanctions imposed on the former President of Ukraine, in which he appeared as sole advocate before the General Court in 2021.
- An LCIA arbitration — leading counsel in a USD 100 million dispute.
- An LCIA arbitration — junior counsel in a dispute over the construction of a long-term commercial contract, with over USD 250 million at stake.
John was Assistant Editor of the Journal of World Investment and Trade from 2014 to 2021.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Called to the Bar of England and Wales, 2014 (Lincoln's Inn; Lord Denning Scholarship, Hardwicke Entrance Award)
EDUCATION
University of Oxford — BCL
Durham University — LLB (First Class Honours)
BPP University — Bar Professional Training Course
