joined the Law Society Gazette in 2011 and has built a reputation as an informed and engaging reporter in the personal injury sector. With a personal Twitter following of more than 6,000, he is now regarded as a leading commentator of the legal profession. One senior Labour politician has described him as a ‘cross between a spiv and an attack dog’, which he is still unsure if it was a compliment or an insult.
During his time at the Gazette he has reported on the Jackson reforms, the fixed fees reduction and APIL’s judicial review to challenge them, the ban on inducements, the establishment of the MedCo whiplash panel and most recently the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act, a piece of legislation which he described as ‘taking a problem that doesn’t exist and proposing a solution that doesn’t change anything’.
Previous to his time with the Gazette, John was a local newspaper reporter in north Essex and east London, interviewing the likes of Gordon Brown, Steve Coogan and most memorably the Cheeky Girls. He was nominated for Young Essex Journalist of the Year in 2005 but silverware has sadly eluded him so far.
Away from work, John is an enthusiastic but limited cricketer, a qualified football referee and a Colchester United supporter. Given their current position, he would prefer if you didn’t mention the latter.