john mehrzad

Chambers and Partners 2012 describes John as “an outstanding young Junior who pulls out all the stops to get results”.

He acts and advises on Employment, Commercial and Sports law often on cross-over cases litigated before the High Court and specialist tribunals.

John is one of only 15 barristers chosen by the Bar Council, Law Society and British Association of Sport and Law as an advocate at the London 2012 Olympics.

He is also on the Panel of Approved Counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

John has recently been instructed on high-profile cases before the High Court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Premier League Arbitration Tribunal and Appeal Panel, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, and the Manchester District Registry.  He also maintains a busy Employment Tribunal practice.

Notable cases include:

Blazevic v Hayashibara International Inc. & Heath UKEATPA/0738/11/CEA (Langstaff J, President): Successful argument that an appeal against the strike out of all claims and a costs award made by the Employment Tribunal should be dismissed with a further costs award ordered.

Bullimore v (i) Pothecary Witham Weld Solicitors (ii) Hawthorne [2011] IRLR 18; UKEAT/0189/10/JOJ (Underhill J, President): Advice on whether on an inaccurate reference can found a claim for sex victimisation following the compromise of a discrimination claim.

Humphreys v Norilsk Nickel International (UK) Limited [2010] IRLR 976; [2010] EWHC (QB) 1867 (HHJ Seymour QC sitting in the High Court): Claim for performance bonus by a former Chief Economist to one of the world’s largest mining companies.

Hunt v Legal and General Resources Limited UKEATPA/1531/10/DM (HHJ Peter Clark): Successful argument that an out-of-time appeal should be rejected by the EAT.

K2 Partnering Solutions Limited v (i) Nina Strauss (aka Miriam Schmidt) (ii) Lawrence Harvey Search and Selection Limited HQ10X03345 (Tugendhat J): Successful application for an injunction before the High Court, preventing a former employee soliciting former customers and her new employer from inducing breach.

Parsons v Burworth Estates (a firm) UKEAT/0547/08/MAA (Underhill J, President): Consideration by the EAT of whether a claimant needs to raise a grievance about each act relied upon for a claim of constructive unfair dismissal

employment law

Member of Equality and Human Rights Commission panel of approved Counsel.

John regularly appears in multi-day Full Hearings, PHRs and CMDs at ETs as well as appeals before the EAT, representing both claimants and respondents in cases involving the whole range of employment law, including:

  • Unfair dismissal
  • Breach of contract/unlawful deduction of wages
  • All forms of discrimination
  • “Whistleblowing”
  • TUPE
  • Points of jurisdiction (time limits, employment status, etc)
His recent ET cases include:
  • Pierre v London Borough of Enfield (Case Numbers: 3301265/2009): Successfully persuaded the ET to find a SOSR dismissal despite the breakdown in relations arising following a grievance and ET claim about discrimination.

commercial law

John has appeared in the High Court and in multi-track County Court trials involving:

  • Bonus/commission entitlement;
  • Restrictive covenants;
  • Fiduciary duties;
  • Confidential information;
  • Partnership/shareholder disputes;
  • Effective cause of contractual relationships;
  • Agency agreements;
  • Sale of Goods; and,
  • Supply of Goods and Services.

He has also obtained urgent injunctive relief– and regularly makes other applications before both High Court Judges and Masters.

Prior to joining the Bar John was Vice President at Chiliogon LLP, a corporate finance advisory and investment management company, advising on deals involving oil/gas, renewable energy and biotechnology.

Sports law

John is one of only 15 barristers appointed as an advocate to the 2012 Olympics. Recent cases include:

  • Premier League Arbitration and an Appeal on behalf of a well-known footballer against a leading Premier League club concerning termination payments.
  • Advice about a Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal from the International Cricket Council decision in the Pakistan cricket “match-fixing” scandal.
  • Bradford City FC v Manchester United FC: Dispute about the contractual interpretation of “loan transfer” relating to Tom Cleverley.
  • Leicester City FC v FC Betz: Contractual dispute about betting rights.
  • High Court dispute between a Brazilian and English clubs about “solidarity payments” arising from FIFA Regulations.
  • Sundew Trading Limited v Middlesbrough FC: High Court claim related to Turkey international, Tuncay Sanli, for breach of economic and image rights agreements.
  • Willowshire Limited v Middlesbrough FC: High Court claim related to former Brazilian international, Afonso Alves, for breach of image rights agreement.
  • Arano v Middlesbrough FC: High Court claim by agent for breach of representation agreement.
  • Phil Taylor v Dickens International Ltd: Mercantile Court dispute about satisfactory quality of shirts on behalf of multiple darts world champion.

Talks

  • Costs in Employment Litigation, Simons Muirhead & Burton, 23 November 2011
  • Dismissing the Undismissable, London Borough of Lambeth, 21 November 2011
  • Fixed-Term Employees, London Borough of Camden, 2 November 2011
  • Mock Employment Tribunal, Bird & Bird, 15 September 2011
  • Fair dismissal following Protected Act, DWF, 12 September 2011
  • Some other Substantial Reason & Whistleblowing, Legal & General, 10 August 2011
  • Repudiatory breach of contract, Withers, 23 June 2011
  • Concurrent disciplinary and grievances, In-House Lawyer seminar, 16 May 2011
  • The Implied Term, Lewis Silkin, 8 February 2011
  • Employment Tribunal Practice and Procedure, London Borough of Enfield, 11 June 2010
  • Mock Employment Tribunal, Charles Russell, 1 June 2010
  • Seminar to the BBC Employment Department, 24 November 2009
  • Recent developments in Employment Law, Newspaper Society, 13 November 2008
  • Case law update in Employment Law, Newspaper Society, 25 March 2008

Call: 2005
Email John Mehrzad
vCard file Download

Download CV


© Littleton Chambers 2011

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader