John is a founding Partner of Elite Law Solicitors and is a specialist costs advocate. He started his career as a Law Costs Draftsman with Farrer & Co in 1982 before moving to Kingsley Napley where he dealt with Inter Partes Assessments. John moved to McKenna & Co (now Cameron McKenna) and then to Bailey Shaw & Gillett with particular responsibility for Inter Parte claims for costs and preparation of both Contentious and Non-Contentious matters.
In 1990 John went into partnership with fellow director Stephen Howey with the establishment of HM Law Costs Draftsmen (now Elite Law Solicitors).
For 3 years John was a Council member of the Association of Costs Lawyers with specific responsibilities for education. John regularly provides seminars to clients on the impact of new rules and changes to costs litigation and was amongst the first group of Costs Draftsmen in England and Wales to obtain the status of Costs Lawyer, with rights of audience and to conduct costs litigation. John is on the panel of advocates for a number of firms and regularly attends Detailed Assessment hearings.
John’s specialities are in relation to Solicitor and Own Client disputes including Non-Contentious disputes under the Solicitors Act 1974. He is responsible for the supervision of all Detailed Assessment Hearings in the Senior Court Costs Office and other Regional and County Courts attending many of these hearings personally. John has been involved in very high value assessments, prepared expert evidence for Security for Costs claims and technical support with commercial third-party funders. He has been involved in numerous high profile, media sensitive Group Litigation claims, and assisted with the highest valued claim from public funds in the Isle of Man.
In 2019, John was heavily involved with the unique high value budgeting process of the Post Office Group Litigation as well as other local group claims.
John is an ADR Group Accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator and assists clients in a variety of disputes.
In his spare time John enjoys taking on challenging charity events, including The Gurkha 100-kilometre walk within 24 hours (twice), running the London Marathon (slowly) and more recently the Three Peaks Challenge and British Heart Foundation London to Brighton bike race. John also enjoys travel and is a keen golfer.
