John specialises in personal injury litigation for insurers, intermediaries and self-insured in Scotland.

He has over 30 years’ experience advising insurance clients in defending PI claims arising from motor and workplace accidents. His key clients include Ageas and Zurich. His focus is on supporting insurers in the early resolution of complex and catastrophic cases. As Location Head he is also responsible for leading a team of specialist partners, lawyers and paralegals serving insurers in Scotland.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• A national bus group and their insurers following a catastrophic accident in Glasgow involving the death of a woman’s husband and her sustaining below knee injuries requiring amputation. He worked collaboratively with the claimant’s agents funding adaptation of her existing home in Newcastle while also maintaining a contributory negligence argument, saving on reserve of £600,000 for insurers and insured.
• In a catastrophic head injury case; John secured early advice providing material arguments on liability on a car versus pedestrian head on collision. He ultimately negotiated settlement with the claimants agents, securing a saving against reserve of £4.7 million.
• In a public liability claim against a well-known hotel chain, the pursuer sought £1.5 million for head injuries sustained when heavy debris fell from a height on him. Not only was John able to introduce a third party to the action and secure significant percentage contribution from them, but also identified anomalies in the pre-accident tax returns by the claimant allowing him to negotiate settlement for his insurers (and third party insurer) at a tenth of the sum sued for.

John “is well regarded by clients and the rest of the market” (Chambers and Partners 2020) and "He is very knowledgeable, he gets the case moving and this has resulted in good judgments."(Chambers and Partners Personal Injury: Mainly Defendant.2018 )

Under Johns leadership DAC Beachcroft was awarded “50 Best Places to Work in Scotland” (The Times 2019).

John is “Confident, astute and sensible - a truly top lawyer” (Legal 500 Personal injury: Defender 2018 Edition).

In addition, John is an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law awarded by the Law Society of Scotland.