john mehrzad

John specialises in Employment, Sports and Company/Commercial disputes often on cross-over cases litigated before the High Court and specialist tribunals. He is recommended by the legal directories as a leading junior in banker and sports litigation.

Chambers and Partners 2013 labels John as having "strong advocacy skills and a smooth and charming manner with clients" (employment) and "developing a considerable profile in sports law" (sport).

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

Legal 500 2012 recommends him for "commercial advice, prompt turnaround and client care" (media, entertainment and sport).

By way of professional recognition, John was 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 and Paralympic Games.  He is also on the Panel of Approved Counsel for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. John has been appointed an FA arbitrator and has also acted as a mediator.

Before coming to the Bar John was Vice President of a corporate advisory and investment fund and now uses his practical market knowledge in banking, funds and shareholder disputes.

He has recently been instructed on cases before the Court of Appeal, the High Court, the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Premier League Adjudication Tribunal and Appeal Panel and the RFU Disciplinary and Appeal Panels.  He also maintains a busy Employment Tribunal practice.  Notable cases include:

Seaco & Ors. v. Buss Capital & Ors (QBD) 2012: Conspiracy, confidential information, restrictive covenant, breach of contract claim in the shipping container industry.  Led by Paul Goulding QC and Damian Brown QC (settled)

Rubicon LLP & Ors v. Attias & Ors (Ch D) 2012 (Sales J.): The highest value conspiracy, confidential information, restrictive covenant, breach of contract/fiduciary duty case of recent times involving £1.2bn in hedge fund investor redemptions. Led by Chris Quinn (settled mid-trial).

Stuart v. London City Airport Ltd. UKEATPA/1651/11/MAA (Cox J.): EAT appeal concerning whether a misconduct investigation into an alleged criminal act required a heightened level of scrutiny. Permission to Court of Appeal granted. Hearing pending.

Blazevic v. Hayashibara International Inc. & Heath UKEATPA/0738/11/CEA (Langstaff J, EAT 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, EAT 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): 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 customers and her new employer from inducing breach.

Parsons v. Burworth Estates (a firm) UKEAT/0547/08/MAA (Underhill J, EAT 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.