"Highly intelligent senior junior, who benefits from having had time in practice in a law firm, and a superb written advocate: quickly masterminding documents to get to the essence of a case."
Jonathan Dawid is a leading senior junior specialising in commercial litigation and international arbitration, including investor-state arbitration. He has extensive experience acting and advising in connection with financial services, professional negligence, energy and sanctions claims and regularly appears in the High Court as well as in international fora.
Having practised both at the independent bar and as a partner in a law firm, Jonathan is attuned to the needs of clients and the need for a litigation strategy to serve the client’s broader commercial interest, being praised for his “real commercial touch” and understanding of “what clients want and, more importantly, what they should want” as well as being “right up there amongst the brightest people at the bar” (Chambers & Partners). The Legal 500 describes him as “Phenomenally bright and extremely hard working … a very able senior junior that every big case needs”, while Legal Week has named him a future "star of the bar".
Jonathan has broad experience of acting in and advising on commercial arbitration in a wide range of arbitral fora including under ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL, ICSID and SCC rules and in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, including:
Jonathan has recorded the practice note, "Remote hearings in international arbitration".
Jonathan has experience of advising in a wide range of situations involving sanctions, embargoes and travel restrictions under UN, UK and EU provisions, in particular with regard to how they may affect commercial transactions.
Legal 500 (2021 edition) "Highly intelligent senior junior, who benefits from having had time in practice in a law firm, and a superb written advocate: quickly masterminding documents to get to the essence of a case."
Legal 500 (2020 edition) "He is fantastic in unpicking complex issues in the professional liability sphere."
Chambers & Partners (2016 edition) “An experienced banking junior with additional strength in professional negligence and commercial fraud. He is regularly instructed in complex financial disputes. Strengths: “He is an excellent lawyer; very bright and very hard-working with excellent judgement.” “He is quick to grasp complex issues, extremely efficient and no-nonsense. An asset to the team with outstanding drafting skills.”
Chambers & Partners (2016 edition) “Maintains a broad-based and well-respected junior practice at the Commercial Bar. He has a particular focus on commercial fraud, professional negligence and banking matters.” Strengths: “He is very bright, very commercial and a pleasure to work with.” “I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t make it to the top of his profession by the time he hangs up his boots as he’s right up there amongst the brightest people at the Bar.”
Chambers & Partners (2015 edition) “Has a strong reputation for representing major financial institutions, accountancy firms and investment managers. He has particular expertise in the application of EU law to the financial services sector.” Strengths: “A real asset to the team and very good with tricky technical points of both law and fact.”
Chambers & Partners (2015 edition) “Has a practice heavy on banking, professional negligence and commercial fraud cases. Numerous sources draw attention to his technical skill.” Skills: “He is phenomenally bright and extremely hard-working. He’s fantastic at drafting and putting complex concepts into words.”
The Legal 500 (2015 edition) “Excellent – a very able senior junior that every big case needs.”
The Legal 500 (2015 edition) “Extremely quick-thinking and bright, and even under great pressure he is excellent.”
Chambers & Partners (2014 edition) "An asset to the team. He's very good with tricky technical points of both law and fact." "He's very, very bright and he's got that real commercial touch. He understands what clients want and, more importantly, what they should want."
Chambers & Partners (2014 edition) "Quick to grasp complex issues."
The Legal 500 (2014 edition) “He has excellent drafting and analytical skills, especially relating to complex financial transactions.”
The Legal 500 (2014 edition) “Intellectually brilliant, wonderful written work and a tremendous team player.”
The Legal 500 (2013 edition) "the ‘top-notch' Jonathan Dawid"
The Legal 500 (2013 edition) "Jonathan Dawid is noted for his ‘ability to grasp technically complex legal and commercial issues frighteningly quickly', and for his ‘outstanding drafting'."
Chambers & Partners (2012 edition) "Jonathan Dawid is developing a first-class reputation for his professional negligence work."
Chambers & Partners (2012 edition) "Jonathan Dawid stands out as a "no-nonsense" junior who is "'quick to grasp complex issues.'"
Legal 500 (2011 edition) - named as a leading junior in Banking & Finance and Professional Negligence. "Jonathan Dawid is ‘top notch'"
Chambers & Partners (2012 edition): - recommended for Banking & Finance, Professional Negligence
Legal Week - "future star of the bar", 2009