An exceptional lawyer who adds real commercial value.
Jamie McConnell
Partner
No one wants to find themselves needing a commercial litigator. However, when they do, they want a responsive, straight-talking, and pragmatic lawyer that not only adds value and achieves great results, but that they also get along with.
Clients consistently tell us that Jamie has all these attributes, and that he prioritises their objectives and commercial needs, when providing outcome focused advice upon a wide breadth of legal and commercial issues. His ability to devise a bespoke strategy that works (in terms of, cost, timeframe and other wider commercial considerations), along with his commercial acumen, pragmatism and empathy, mean that Jamie and clients enjoy working together.
Litigation is a high-stress environment. And, determined high-calibre lawyers that are responsive, deliver results and have a personable approach like Jamie are rare.
Jamie has frequently been described by clients as an “exceptional lawyer” who adds value and achieves great results. With over 15 years of experience as a Disputes lawyer, he has successfully protected the legal and commercial interests of an impressive portfolio of clients in the UK and internationally on high-value and complex matters.
Having graduated from Leeds University Business School before specialising in law, Jamie joined us in 2013 from a specialist banking and finance litigation team at leading regional firm Walker Morris LLP (where he also trained).
Jamie is highly regarded for “exceptional advice, guidance and execution”, “emotional intelligence with quality strategic advice and the ability to outperform much larger firms with more resource”, an “unparalleled attention to detail” and an “ability to exert pressure” to deliver great results. And he prioritises the commercial needs of clients when delivering exceptional advice on a wide breadth of complex (and high value) legal and commercial issues for an impressive portfolio of UK and international clients. As a result, he is a trusted adviser to many of our key clients, who repeatedly seek his advice when it comes to dealing with their legal and commercial issues.
Jamie has also been consistently recognised and recommended in the leading guide to law firms and solicitors, the Legal 500, for his expertise in commercial litigation, banking & finance, intellectual property and IT & telecoms. Jamie is currently ranked as a “Next Generation Partner”.
Recent work examples include:
- Defending numerous high-profile data privacy claims brought against one of the UK’s main political parties, widely reported in the national press.
- Advising a major UK financial planning and investment management company with over 100,000 UK clients on financial services matters, including alleged negligence/FSMA claims.
- Advised the owner of valuable minority stake in a major media company on their rights in relation to board mismanagement, diversion of profits and prejudicial conduct, including claims against directors under statutory Ofcom rules and collaboration by a number of majority shareholders.
- Resolving a high value and complex contractual dispute for a leading agri-tech company relating to commercialisation, licensing and intellectual property right issues.
- Acting against a major bank regarding a leveraged Contract for Difference currency trade following the Swiss National Bank’s unexpected removal of the Swiss France/Euro currency peg.
- Successfully defending a high net-worth individual in a London Circuit Commercial Court trial of a fraudulent representation/deceit claim arising out of a US$3m investment offering in the US (Damazein Global Investments Ltd v Salamanca Capital Ltd and another [2019] EWHC 2730 (Comm)).
- Alongside the government body that awarded our client a multi-million pound grant, played a key role in ensuring judicial review proceedings were comprehensibly dismissed at the permission stage on all grounds by the Administrative Court (and again subsequently following the decision being reconsidered at the oral renewal hearing).
In his spare time Jamie enjoys walking his dogs (whom he shares an office with when working remotely) and sampling craft beer.