Mark Jones

Practice Areas

Mark Jones is a barrister with a broad commercial practice, encompassing general commercial work, fraud, banking, insurance, shipping, commodities and trade.

He acts in cases before the English Courts and in arbitration, and has wide-raging experience of international arbitrations conducted under various institutional rules both in London and abroad.

He is particularly well known for his expertise in matters of shipping, commodities and international trade. His trade practice covers both the sale and carriage of goods, and the related financial and insurance transactions. His shipping expertise extends to all corners of the shipping and offshore industries, from charterparties to salvage, from cargo claims to collisions, from ship finance to performance guarantees, and from marine insurance to general average. He has a particular specialism in shipbuilding disputes and cases about the sale of second-hand tonnage.

He also acts in significant commercial arbitrations covering a diverse range of subject matter, from the construction of hospitals in the UAE, through the sale of rare vintage motor cars, to the operation of railway infrastructure, and has extensive experience of the remedies available under the Arbitration Act 1996.

In addition, he provides expert evidence on English maritime and commercial law for use in foreign proceedings and arbitrations. Before moving to the Bar, Mark trained as a litigation solicitor at Ince & Co focusing on shipping and insurance matters.

Mark sits as a Recorder (a deputy Circuit Judge) in the County Court (civil) and in the Crown Court (crime), and accepts appointments as arbitrator.

Career

Winchester College (Scholar); St Edmund Hall, Oxford University (BA Hons – Jurisprudence); formerly Solicitor (Ince & Co); Called to the Bar in 2000, Lincoln’s Inn (Kennedy Scholar); Recorder (Civil); Recorder (Crime)

Professional Memberships

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Member (MCIArb)

London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Young International Arbitration Group and European Users’ Council

London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association (LMAA), Supporting Member

Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR)

London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association (LCLCBA)

British Maritime Law Association (BMLA)

London Shipping Law Centre (LSLC)

Association of Average Adjusters (AAA)

Work Highlights

Notable cases

The ‘Sea Angel’ [2007] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 517 (Court of Appeal), [2007] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 335: acted for successful sub-contracting salvors in claims arising out of the large scale “TASMAN SPIRIT” casualty in Pakistan in the Commercial Court and then in the Court of Appeal involving novel and important issues relating to the doctrine of frustration of contract.

Acting for owners in significant unsafe port claim (circa US$6 million) concerning open water port in Indonesia – claim settled during arbitration.

Drafting a Practice Note on a stream-lined procedure for collision claims (as part of a committee comprising the Admiralty Judge, the Admiralty Registrar and senior representatives of the Admiralty Solicitors Group).

Advising the Attorney-General of the Bahamas on the possible revision of elements of the maritime legislation of the Bahamas.

Bonhams v Lawson & Ors: acting as lead counsel for one of the parties against several well-known QCs in high profile multiparty case in the Commercial Court concerning the sale at Goodwood by Bonhams of a Ferrari 375 Plus Grand Prix for a price in excess of £10 million; disputes over title to the car have raged for over 20 years; jurisdictional challenge and anti-suit injunction; preliminary issues due to be heard in late 2015; major trial listed for early 2016

Industry Sector Expertise

International Arbitration

Shipping & Commodities

Commercial Litigation