Jonathan Hilliard

Practice Overview

Jonathan has a broad trusts and commercial practice. Much of his time is spent on disputes concerning private, pension and other commercial trust disputes, both on and offshore. His litigation often takes him into other areas of law, and he has significant experience of cases with regulatory, insolvency, family and public law elements.

He also has a significant advisory practice across this spectrum of work, regularly advising on private trusts, tax and pensions issues, in the latter case often in the context of corporate restructuring.

Jonathan regularly appears on his own account in matters involving QCs and senior juniors. Equally, he is often brought in as a junior, frequently to leaders in other sets and other areas of the law. He very much enjoys unravelling complex issues and the advocacy involved in litigation, both oral and written. 

Professional Reputation

Listed as one of the 10 stars of the junior commercial and chancery bar in Legal Week (2.10.10), who described him as "absolutely brilliant: lots of brain power- impresses solicitors and silks alike" and stated that "he completely outflanks some senior members of the Bar".

He was also listed as one of the 10 future stars of the Bar in the Times (1.10.07), who commented that "he has it all- no wonder he's in demand".

Chambers & Partners:

Jonathan has been recommended for pensions and traditional chancery:

"Fiendishly intelligent", "a complete mastery of his subject", "exceeding all expectations of his call", "a man with a glittering career in front of him"; "very much one to watch in the future" (Chambers & Partners 2009)

"Jonathan Hilliard's star is very much in the ascendancy. He is regarded by his contemporaries as "mature beyond his years- he has the skills of someone much more senior and is therefore great value for money." In addition to his exceptional intelligence, he is admired for being "polite rather than patronising." Hilliard is able to hold his own against his peers, with one commentator remarking how he "came up against him at a hearing and was bowled over"; "more than capable of dealing with anything that's thrown at him (Chambers & Partners 2010)

"A new rising star", "an intellectual heavyweight", "one day he will be at the top of the league"; "Is really going places in the Chancery world" (Chambers & Partners 2008);

The Legal 500:

Recommended for pensions:

"Receives numerous plaudits from clients and solicitors who are ‘keen to see more of him‘" (Legal 500 2010)

"Receives numerous plaudits from client and solicitors" (Legal 500 2009);

Qualifications

LLM (Cantab) - 1st in year - starred first.

BA (Cantab) - 1st in year:

• Highest ever mark on Advanced Trust Law course (which focused on international trust law and pensions)
• First place in tax, restitution, tort, aspects of obligations
• Number of other university and college prizes, including the Tapp Scholarship and Chancellor's Medal

Taught contract law at Gonville & Caius and Selwyn Colleges, Cambridge.

Awarded Denning, Harwicke and Kennedy scholarships by Lincoln's Inn.

Recently interviewed about Fred Goodwin's pension on lead item of BBC News.

Memberships

• Chancery Bar Association
• Association of Pension Lawyers
• Commercial Bar Association

Publications

Trusts and tax:

• Co-author of protectors disclosure by trustees/protectors chapters in The International Trust and International Trust Laws.
• Author of a number of articles in Private Client Business, Trust Law International, the British Tax Review and the Journal of International Trust and Corporate Planning on trustee duties, rights to information, Hastings Bass and Gibbon v Mitchell. .

Pensions:

• Co-author of Pension Scheme Actuaries chapter in Professional Negligence and Liability looseleaf.
• Author of articles in Pensions Lawyer and Trust Law International on a number of pension topics.

Commercial:

• Author (with Janet O'Sullivan, reader of law at the University of Cambridge) of The Law of Contract (OUP), now in its 4^th edition.
• Author of a number of restitution articles, including in the Cambridge Law Journal.