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Jonathan Blunden

Senior Associate
London
About

Jonathan Blunden is a public lawyer. He has a wide range of experience advising the public sector (including in particular the UK Government) and private sector bodies on high-profile contentious and non-contentious public and procurement law matters. Jonathan's core practice covers all aspects of public and procurement law and includes judicial review and procurement litigation, defensible public sector decision-making, public sector organisational change, parliamentary procedure, public policy, and statutory drafting.

Jonathan's primary clients are the UK Government and corporates operating in regulated industries, including in particular the transport sector.

Jonathan is a committee member of the Young Public Law Lawyers' Group and is a member of the firm's HM Government steering group. He is also an active member of the Administrative Lawyers' Bar Association.

Before working as a public lawyer, Jonathan worked in the House of Commons. He has a particular interest in parliamentary procedure and comparative approaches to legislative drafting.

Areas of FocusIndustrialsLife SciencesLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsRegulatory and Government Affairs

EXPERIENCE

  • Acting for the Secretary of State for Transport in the 2019 Rail Franchising Litigation, the most complex and high-value commercial judicial review claim litigated to date in the UK.
  • Secondment to the Department of Health and Social Care to provide contentious and non-contentious public law advice in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Acting for Hitachi Rail in a procurement challenge to the award of a substantial rolling stock contract by London Underground Limited.
  • Acting for the Chief Police Officers' Staff Association in regulatory and public law proceedings. In particular, in judicial review proceedings for the former Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police dismissed by the Police Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire following the findings of the 2016 Hillsborough Inquests
  • Acting for a variety of public sector bodies, including central government departments, in defending judicial review and procurement claims.
  • Acting for the FCA, in judicial review proceedings involving a preliminary reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning financial services regulation and the application of EU law to the domestic financial services sector.
  • Advising public sector bodies on defensible decision-making and organisational change.
  • Advising public sector bodies on legislative drafting and statutory interpretation.
  • Advising corporates and other bodies on a variety of public law matters such as judicial review litigation.
Education

    Awards

    • Jonathan Blunden is another ferocious and effective hard worker. His drafting is excellent and he is going to have a great career - he is an excellent litigator, Legal 500
    • Jonathan Blunden is a very knowledgeable and able senior associate with an impressive depth of knowledge of public law and government administration, Legal 500
    • Jonathan Blunden is outstanding. He is really easy to work with, responsive and incredibly hardworking,Legal 500

    Publications

    • Author of various articles in practitioner publications, including articles in the Judicial Review journal and Compliance Monitor
    • Author of a chapter in the forthcoming second edition of Police Misconduct, Complaints, and Public Regulation (Oxford University Press)

    Prior Experience

    • 2016 to 2018, Associate, London-based international law firm
    • 2014 to 2016, Trainee Solicitor, London-based law firm

    Memberships And Affiliations

    • Law Society of England and Wales
    • Young Public Law Lawyers' Group
    • Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association
    • Statute Law Society
    • Procurement Lawyers' Association

    My latest insights

    Publication
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    The Public Procurement Bill – delegated powers – 'to delegate, or not to delegate: that is...

    20 September 2022 .10 minute read

    Publication
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    The Public Procurement Bill – delegated powers – “to delegate, or not to delegate: that is...

    7 September 2022 .8 minute read

    Publication
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    Judiciously reviewed mark II – reforms to judicial review enacted

    14 June 2022 .5 minute read

    View All

    Connect

    Phone

    +44 7738296119
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