Jesse is recognised as a leading practitioner in employment and equality litigation, with a breadth of practice covering the interplay of employment relationships with commercial, company, pensions, and insurance law, professional negligence and regulatory obligations. He is instructed to appear in the High Court (ChD and KBD), County Courts and Employment Tribunals, as well as appearing in the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Jesse is recommended as a leading junior in Chambers and Partners and Legal 500.
Jesse’s lay clients commend him for being “brilliantly professional and completely practical” and for doing a “wonderful job.” Solicitors praise his "superb" advocacy and for doing a "stellar job." His cross-examination has been complimented by judges as “a model of its kind,” by instructing solicitors as “brilliant,” and by opponents as “extremely robust.” He prides himself on a wholehearted focus on getting the best possible outcome for his clients.
'Jesse has an abundance of charm, with the intelligence and skill to back it up. His advocacy is a masterclass in persuasion.' - Employment, Legal 500 2025
'Jesse is very sharp and articulate. He puts people at ease, and as an advocate he is incredibly astute and measured while getting his point across. Solid and persuasive.' - Employment, Legal 500 2024
‘Jesse has an unrivalled ability to understand and address the most complex matters, while also putting the client and witness at ease and simplifying concepts. His advocacy is a perfect blend of understanding the law and understanding the people in the room - a first point of call for all matters.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2023
An erudite and approachable barrister who is trusted by both claimants and respondents for his ability to litigate in tribunal. His deep employment law knowledge sees him handle a variety of cases involving TUPE, discrimination, whistle-blowing and unfair dismissal, among other matters. "He is really good with clients, he is a really good advocate and he is technically strong." "I think he is superb as he is dedicated, extremely knowledgeable, pragmatic, reliable and his attention to detail is second to none." "He is very good at technical and tricky stuff; he comes into his own in the Employment Tribunal and he is clear, incisive and commercial." - Employment, Chambers UK Bar 2022.
'Jesse is unflappable – devastating in cross-examination with a good humour that the tribunal appreciated.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2022
‘Very good with clients, strikes up a good rapport with judges, and has a good grasp of very technical areas of law.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2021
‘Clients really like him for his strong cross-examination skills and excellently prepared skeleton arguments.’ - Employment, Legal 500 2020
‘He has notable expertise in appeals, whistleblowing and discrimination claims.' - Employment, Legal 500 2019
Jesse is recognised as a leading employment junior, in particular for his expertise in whistleblowing and discrimination cases, jurisdictional disputes, TUPE, industrial relations and collective rights. He is a contributing editor to Discrimination Law (Bloomsbury Professional): chapters on Discrimination at Work and Exceptions and Defences.
His client base includes FTSE 100 companies, multinational banks and global tech companies, police forces and NHS trusts, SMEs, charities and trade unions, senior executives and other notable individuals (judges, medical professionals, etc). He is a member of ELA, ELBA and ELAAS and undertakes pro bono work via the FRU / Advocate where appropriate.
Jesse’s employment work often overlaps with his commercial practice, and he is instructed to advise and litigate in claims concerning restrictive covenants, arising from agency, consultancy and partnership agreements, and other civil litigation arising from employment-related aspects of professional liability, company and insurance law. He is particularly noted for his expertise in income protection insurance schemes.
Jesse is also a highly experienced trial advocate, regularly undertaking complex multi-week hearings across the breadth of employment-related work, including discrimination, whistleblowing and other detriment claims, equal pay, and claims arising upon termination. He is particularly sought after by claimants and respondents alike in cases which give rise to complex legal or factual issues, are of particularly high value, or where there are wider reputational or industrial ramifications.
Recent work has included:
Recent cases include:
Jesse has an eclectic commercial practice, largely but not exclusively concerned commercial disputes against the background of employment, partnership or directors/shareholder disputes (detailed above). Much of his commercial work involves professional negligence and/or insurance issues (detailed separately, below). He also has experience of property, trusts and CCA disputes.
More general commercial experience includes:
Jesse acts in a range of insurance-related matters, both in an advisory capacity and as an advocate. Recent and ongoing work includes:
instructed in multiple cases to advise on the application of employers’ liability cover to workers in atypical alleged employment;
advising in various actions against insurance companies and employers for permanent health insurance and ill-health retirement, including settling career-long loss claim against insurer and employer for in excess of £1.3m; and acting (with Nicholas Randall KC) in KBD action to enforce ombudsman award arising from PHI insurer declining cover;
Instructed to advise and draft global insurance policy for multinational Plc (with Richard Harrison);
advising local authority on subrogation/salvage/title issues around recovery of valuable antique;
instructed for various insurance companies in coverage disputes;
advising on impact of health insurance policies on personal injury claims;
acting for defendant insurers in cases giving rise to fraud allegations.
Jesse regularly speaks and writes on insurance related topics. He is a former editor Atkin's Court Forms Insurance title (with Alison Padfield and Sam Nicholls).
Jesse is instructed in professional negligence claims involving a wide range of professionals, but with particular expertise in professional advice and conduct of litigation in an employment setting.
Recent experience includes:
Jesse has been instructed to conduct and act for parties in a range of complex and sensitive investigations, disciplinary and grievance proceedings, and internal processes. Examples of recent investigations include: investigation for state energy company to investigate a complaint of sexual harassment made by an employee against the Head of Finance and an allegation of victimisation against the CEO; investigation of fraud allegations and other breaches of fiduciary duties by financial controller; and investigation into forced TUPE transfer of employee for multinational company. He also has experience of hearing internal appeals, including a solicitor’s appeal against dismissal.
Jesse brings this experience to litigating issues where external investigators have been instructed. He has particular experience of advising on and litigating privilege issues arising from interactions with internal and external investigators, legal advisors and third parties.
ELA, ELBA, PNBA, FRU
Bar Vocational Course (Very Competent), BPP Law School
Graduate Diploma in Law (Commendation), City University
BA, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (First Class Hons.), Balliol College, Oxford University
Inner Temple Sir John Ashworth and Duke of Edinburgh Scholarships (2008)
Inner Temple Exhibitioner (2007 & 2008)
Winner, City University Mooting Competition (2008)
GDH Cole Prize, Balliol College, Oxford (2005)