Excellent commercial team offering its expertise to both businesses and individuals in relation to a wide range of disputes.”

The Legal 500 2024, Commercial Litigation

St John’s Chambers has an established and busy Partnership team who provide advice in all areas of partnership disputes. Our expertise includes both contentious and non-contentious work, advising and representing clients in a broad range of partnership matters, from general partnership to limited liability and LLPs.

We get involved from the initial drafting of an agreement through to partners’ liabilities and are instructed on a broad range of issues such as partnership accounts, expulsion, restrictive covenants, disciplinary matters, compulsory retirement and dissolution.

We also advise in related legal issues such as insurance, trusts, insolvency, real estate, and the administration of a deceased partner’s estate. As family-run partnerships are a regular feature of our practice, we can advise in matrimonial and property issues arising out of family disputes and divorce.

Our clients include professional services firms, farming, building and other business partnerships, medical practitioners and family partnerships, both in the UK and overseas.

Mediation

As the number of cases being dealt with by way of mediation increases, our mediation team is on hand to help, as advisers, advocates and mediators. Our facilities are specifically designed to meet with clients’ needs for a mediation venue. Read more.

Public Access

Some members of the team are also available to act, where appropriate, for members of the public, as well as commercial and non-commercial organisations, under the Public Access scheme. Read more.

Training

The team delivers workshops and seminars in Chambers and regional centres. We also provide training on behalf of local Law Societies and in conjunction with solicitors firms. In addition we can give tailored in-house training for particular firms. If you would like any further information please contact Robert Bocock.

Partnership Team

James Pearce Smith

James Pearce-Smith

  • Call: 2002

James has over 20 years’ experience as a commercial litigator, including 8 years as a commercial litigation solicitor before his transfer to the Bar in 2002. Throughout that time James has regularly advised and represented parties in partnership...

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John Dickinson

John Dickinson

  • Call: 1995

John is a barrister specialising in commercial, banking, company, insolvency and chancery law. His commercial practice includes local authority procurement claims, breach of contract, restraint of trade, sale of goods, consumer credit and fraud. John has been involved...

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Christopher Jones

Christopher Jones

  • Call: 2004

Christopher acts for businesses in cases concerning all aspects of commercial and contract disputes, including sale of goods and services, restraint of trade, insolvency, partnership disputes and applications for interim relief. Recent examples of Christopher’s work include: A...

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Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke

  • Call: 2009

Michael regularly acts and advises in commercial disputes for both corporate and individual clients. His recent work has included: Acting for a claimant sales director for breach of covenant by the company. Acting for a claimant manufacturer and...

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Natasha Dzameh

Natasha Dzameh

  • Call: 2010

A significant amount of Natasha’s practice consists of commercial/commercial chancery matters. She has acted in a variety of contractual disputes (carriage, consumer credit, equine, guarantees, hire, IT, NHS etc.) including complex collateral contracts. She is regularly instructed in...

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Charlie Newington Bridges

Charlie Newington-Bridges

  • Call: 2011

Charlie is a well regarded barrister for his commercial and financial services expertise, which is supported by 15 years’ prior experience as an investment banker. He is also regularly instructed in cases concerning partnership law and insolvency. Charlie...

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Adam Boyle

  • Call: 2012

Adam is a very experienced commercial barrister who is regularly instructed in complex and high value cases. Adam began life at the Bar advising and assisting a hub of Welsh Local Authorities in relation to public procurement contracts...

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Joss Knight

  • Call: 2014

Joss advises in a wide-range of complex commercial, company and insolvency matters. He recently appeared for the applicant in Housemaker Services Ltd v Cole & Anor [2017] EWHC 753 (Ch) in which the court considered the circumstances in...

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Annie Sampson

Annie Sampson

  • Call: 2015

Annie has experience of a broad range of commercial matters, such as claims in respect of defective goods and services; misrepresentation; building disputes, including in the context of professional negligence; assigned debt; the repayment of loans; rectification; and...

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Jack Pankhurst

  • Call: 2021

Jack joined Chambers in April 2022 following the successful completion of his specialist commercial and chancery pupillage. He accepts instructions in all of the main areas of commercial and chancery law. Jack’s pupil supervisors were Nick Pointon, Charlie...

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Kayleigh Bloomfield

  • Call: 2021

Kayleigh joined Chambers in October 2022 following the successful completion of her specialist commercial and chancery pupillage. She accepts instructions across all main areas of this practice group. Kayleigh’s pupil supervisors were Charlie Newington-Bridges and Christopher Jones. Kayleigh...

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Ben Harwood

Ben Harwood

  • Call: 2022

Ben joined Chambers in October 2023 following the successful completion of his specialist commercial and chancery pupillage. Ben’s pupil supervisors were James Pearce-Smith, Brittany Pearce, Christopher Jones and Charlie Newington-Bridges. Ben frequently represents clients at small claims and...

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Tim Higginson

  • Call: 1977

Tim has built up an extensive practice over a number of years, the main areas of which concern disputes in these areas: Commercial and Chancery Civil Fraud and Asset Tracing Professional Negligence (principally, solicitors, barristers, auditors/accountants and bankers)...

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Guy Adams

Guy Adams

  • Call: 1989

Guy is a respected barrister with a strong commercial practice that covers complex cases across this field. He has acted in cases up to the Supreme Court level and has had many reported cases. Guy has recently been...

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Directory Quotes

The barristers at St John’s Chambers offer significant expertise in a variety of company law matters, including unfair prejudice petitions and shareholder disputes.”

Chambers UK 2024, Company

The barristers are incredibly experienced and very able to handle complex commercial litigation.”

Chambers UK 2024, Commercial Dispute Resolution

St John’s Chambers’ ‘excellent‘ commercial team offers its expertise to both businesses and individuals in relation to a wide range of disputes.”

The Legal 500 2024, Commercial Litigation

St John’s Chambers is a leading commercial set on the Western Circuit with a broad stable of commercial barristers. It is able to handle the full range of commercial matters, including shareholder, partnership and contractual disputes in addition to banking litigation and professional negligence cases. The set is also an excellent choice for commercial and agricultural real estate and chancery work.”

Chambers UK 2023, Commercial Dispute Resolution

The clerks are always very helpful and will always point you in the right direction if you are unsure.”

Chambers UK 2023, Commercial Dispute Resolution (Client Service)

The barristers offer significant expertise in a variety of company law matters, advising on a range of domestic and international clients.’ ‘They have some great individuals who are technically excellent.’ “

Chambers UK 2023, Company

St John’s Chambers provide an exceptional service”

2023 Chambers UK, Company (Client Service)

The very experienced Commercial team is regularly instructed by individuals and large companies in a wide range of contentious work.”

Legal 500 2023, Commercial Litigation

Seminars & Events

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