Jon is a partner and heads up the firm's health, safety and environment unit, whose work covers not only prosecution and enforcement action but also advisory work in relation to risk management, health and safety policies and due diligence in corporate transactions including advice on all aspects of health and safety.
Jon's practice encompasses all aspects of contentious and non-contentious health, safety and environmental issues including advising on formal investigations and prosecutions, advising on appeals against Notices and dealing with judicial review proceedings relating to health, safety and environmental issues. Like all members of the team Jon regularly appears as an advocate before the criminal Courts and employment tribunals on health and safety matters. He also advises on formal investigations and Boards of Inquiry.
He advises clients in the private and public sector, including on formal investigations by the Environment Agency and local authorities, criminal investigations and defending prosecutions, statutory nuisance proceedings on behalf of local authorities and others and advising on judicial review relating to environmental issues, particular in the nuclear industry.
Jon and his team have been involved in many of the leading health, safety and environmental cases in recent years including:
- the Buncefield Oil Terminal explosion 11 December 2005 - advising on the investigation into the incident by the Competent Authority and acting on behalf of the Competent Authority in the successful prosecution of five companies arising from the explosion which resulted in multiple injuries, damage to commercial and residential property and widespread environmental pollution
- R v Costain Limited and others - prosecution arising from the collapse of the gantry on the M5 Avonmouth Bridge resulting in multiple deaths
- R v Corus UK Limited - prosecution arising from the explosion at Port Talbot Steel Works November 2001 involving multiple deaths and injuries
- R v Junttan Oy - a House of Lords case involving important issues on Section 6 HSWA 1974, the impact of European Directives/Regulations and the nature and extent of domestic powers of prosecution
- R v Princess Yachts Plc and others - defence of a Plc in proceedings for corporate manslaughter
- R v Royal Mail Plc - defence of Royal Mail on a fatality in Wales
- R v Environment Agency ex p Kelly - Judicial Review proceedings relating to the legality of nuclear discharge.
Jon has been recognised as a leading practitioner in health and safety for a number of years. Chambers Guide to the UK Legal Profession 2011 quote peers as saying he is "a veritable doyen of health and safety solicitors" ... 'he is commended for his experience of both defence and prosecutions'.
He sits on the editorial Board of Tolley's Health and Safety magazine.