John Lockey KC
With more than 30 years’ experience of advising and representing policyholders, brokers, insurers and reinsurers in some of the most complicated insurance and reinsurance disputes in the London and international insurance markets, John is now a popular choice as arbitrator. He has received more than 60 appointments (LCIA, ICC, ARIAS UK and ad hoc) as sole arbitrator, party appointed arbitrator and increasingly as third arbitrator/chair, in arbitrations seated in London, Bermuda, Cayman and elsewhere (including most recently Romania and Germany). He has written or co-written dozens of awards.
Recent experience as arbitrator includes a number of Bermuda Form disputes, COVID business interruption claims, allocation/attachment disputes including disputes between underwriting years, disputes between coverholders and insurers, disputes involving alternative risk transfer transactions, aggregation disputes, and marine and non-marine reinsurance/retrocession recovery actions. He has also been appointed in a number of expert determinations involving issues of insurance or reinsurance law and has provided neutral written opinions (binding and non-binding) in coverage disputes between policyholders and insurers.
John has served as Chair of the British Insurance Law Association (2006-2008) and as a Committee Member of ARIAS (UK) and is co-editor (with Professor Merkin) of the Lloyd’s Insurance and Reinsurance Law Reports. John was Chambers & Partners’ Insurance Silk of the year in 2011 and again in 2021.
John has recently produced an Award (as sole arbitrator) in a dispute between a large group of policyholders and a leading insurer concerning UK COVID BI losses, chaired an arbitration concerning reinsurance claims following the insolvency of a leading European insurance company, is chair of a series of arbitrations under reinsurances in respect of significant offshore energy losses, and is chair or party appointed arbitrator in a number of Bermuda Form arbitration disputes (US pharmaceutical product liability and US medical liability claims).
Arbitration and Related Court Applications
Experienced advocate in arbitrations in London and worldwide. Extensive experience of leading a multi-jurisdictional team of lawyers.
Recent experience includes hearings in Hong Kong (HKIAC), Washington DC, New York (AAA), Bermuda and Stockholm as well as numerous Bermuda Form arbitrations in London.
Expert on English arbitration law; recent cases include Lisnave v CST (Commercial Court, 2013: whether an arbitration clause to be implied); BAIC v Matelec (Commercial Court, 2013: whether ARIAS arbitration clause prevailed over Kenyan jurisdiction clause).
Regularly accepts appointment as independent arbitrator (ad hoc, LCIA, ARIAS) and as adjudicator/expert.
Banking and Financial Services
Recent experience includes disputes alleging negligent fund management, negligent lending decisions, insurance backed assets, letters of credit, performance bonds.
Commercial Dispute Resolution
Regularly appears as Counsel in the High Court and Court of Appeal in London as well as in arbitrations in London and abroad. Recent hearings include jurisdictional battles, trials involving extensive cross-examination of witnesses of fact and experts (actuaries, accountants, insurance brokers, investment advisers, environmental regulators), and points of law.
Conflict of Laws and Private International Law
A recognised expert in jurisdictional battles.
Energy and Natural Resources
Regularly advises, and acts for, companies involved in offshore exploration. Recent disputes include disputes before the Commercial Court and in expert determination.
Insurance and Reinsurance
Expertise in insurance and reinsurance law. Former Chairman, British Insurance Law Association. Current member, ARIAS UK Management Committee. Chambers & Partners Insurance Silk of the Year 2011.
“Hugely prominent” in insurance and reinsurance litigation (Chambers & Partners, 2015)
Regularly instructed in the leading domestic and international insurance and reinsurance disputes in arbitrations, in the Commercial Court, and in the Court of Appeal.
Recent cases of interest in the Courts include Wasa v Lexington, Equitas v R&Q, Faraday v Howden/ACE v Howden, Equitas v Walsham and the PIP Breast Implant Litigation.
Regularly acts as advocate in confidential arbitrations in London, Hong Kong, Washington DC, New York, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and elsewhere, in disputes governed by English law,
New York law, Bermuda law, Hong Kong law, Singapore law, and other systems of law.
Considerable experience of working with lawyers from other jurisdictions, including the US, as co-counsel and as lead counsel.
Disputes include contingency claims (cancellation of Rolling Stones Australasia tour 2014), products liability insurance, satellite reinsurance claims, Japan earthquake claims, adverse weather claims, 9/11 claims, hedge fund trading loss claims, environmental liability claims, marine cargo claims, fidelity insurance claims, accountants’ and solicitors’ professional indemnity insurance, D&O insurance claims.
Considerable experience of serving as lead Counsel in Bermuda Form arbitrations. Recent Bermuda Form cases have included pharmaceutical claims, product liability claims and environmental pollution claims.
Professional Negligence
Regularly instructed as advocate in insurance brokers’ negligence cases. Recent cases include Ground Gilbey v JLT (2011) and Equitas v Walsham (2013).
Considerable experience of accountants’ negligence cases. Acted as Counsel for Coopers & Lybrand in the mammoth Barings audit negligence case.
Expert on professional indemnity insurance (solicitors, IFAs, accountants, brokers etc).
What Others Say
Chambers & Partners 2026
“He is a reinsurance and coverage expert, who is calm and unflustered.”
“John is rightly seen as one of the preeminent silks in insurance. He gets results. He is both effective and fun to work with.”
“John is the best of the best when it comes to insurance disputes. He combines an easy, client-friendly manner with technical expertise and a laser focus on the points that actually matter.”
“John Lockey is a completely seasoned professional.”
Chambers & Partners 2025
“John is an excellent silk who is very helpful in giving advice.”
“John is formidable in any role he fulfils, from insurance to commercial court work, and arbitration matters.”
Chambers & Partners 2024
“John Lockey is excellent. He has a distinctive advocate style and his written submissions are succinct.”
“He is a user-friendly silk. John Lockey is always helpful and is super bright.”
“John is a well-liked insurance advocate and arbitrator. He is both experienced and a safe pair of hands.”
Chambers & Partners 2023
“He has deep knowledge and experience of insurance and reinsurance. He is personable and easy to work with.”
“John is very thorough, clear and concise in providing an opinion on very technical insurance law issues.”
“John is a creative thinker who sees round corners and thinks outside of the box.”
“John is a charming advocate, very bright and popular with clients and solicitors.”
The Legal 500 2023
“An excellent advocate with a calm and convincing style. Responsive and direct regarding advice.”
Chambers & Partners 2022
“John has the ability to communicate very difficult submissions in a succinct way. His brevity is impressive.”
The Legal 500 2022
“Highly intelligent, understated in style of advocacy, courteous and witty.”
“Very intelligent, he has a very good sense of humour and is very balanced.”
The Legal 500 2021
“A brilliant silk who always strives to achieve the best for clients.”
The Legal 500 2020
“He gives clear, commercially sensitive advice and always exceeds expectations.”
Chambers & Partners 2019
“He has an encyclopaedic knowledge and he just has that knack of choosing the right phrase which enables him to persuade a judge. Responsive and user-friendly, he’s more than prepared to engage in open discussions with solicitors. Great at navigating a path through cloudy skies, he sees things clearly and has got such an easy manner. A recognised leader in the insurance field.”
Career
2006: Silk
1988: Essex Court Chambers
1987: Call: Middle Temple. Queen Mother’s Fund Scholar.
Education
1987: Inns of Court School of Law. Scarman Scholar.
1986: LLM, Harvard Law School. Frank Knox Fellowship.
1985: BA (Law), Downing College, Cambridge (starred First Class). Slaughter & May Prize for best performance.
Awards
1987: Queen Mother’s Fund Scholar, Middle Temple
1987: Scarman Scholar (Inns of Court School of Law)
1985: Frank Knox Fellowship, Harvard Law School
1985: Slaughter & May Prize (Cambridge University, first in class)