Profile

Jonathan Lopian practises in corporate and commercial litigation and advisory work and commercial chancery, specialising in:

• Corporate insolvency
• Personal insolvency
• Company law
• Director disqualification
• Partnership law
• Agency
• Contract
• Commercial fraud
• Asset tracing
• Trusts
• Fiduciary obligations
• Professional negligence

Before coming to the Bar, Jonathan gained several years of commercial and financial experience, first as a corporate finance executive at the UK merchant bank Morgan Grenfell (now part of Deutsche Bank) specialising in mergers and acquisitions and then as manager of the corporate finance division of the major international corporation Olympia & York, working in New York, Toronto and London.

He was Junior Counsel to the Crown (Attorney General's Panel) from 1999 to 2009. 

He was awarded a senior scholarship followed by a research scholarship by Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, where he took a double First in History and gained his doctorate. He was awarded a Queen Mother's Scholarship by Middle Temple and gained a Distinction in the Diploma in Law at City University, London.

What others say

Jonathan Lopian is recommended by Chambers UK as a leading insolvency and commercial chancery barrister. He is also recommended by Legal 500 in insolvency. Recent testimonials highlight:

Jonathan Lopian was retained by a coalition of creditors in the widely reported Hellas Telecommunications insolvency. He is described as "excellent - he's very thorough and gets on top of difficult issues quickly." (Insolvency – Chambers UK 2013)

Jonathan Lopian divides his time between litigious and advisory matters, and has a practice heavy on shareholder disputes and insolvency proceedings. He is valued by solicitors as he "really reads the detail in the papers and is good on his feet." (Commercial Chancery – Chambers UK 2013 and Chambers Global 2013)

Jonathan Lopian, has a ‘no-nonsense approach and is keen to get stuck in’. (Insolvency - Legal 500 2012)

A "very bright man who is doing very well," Jonathan Lopian has a chancery practice that is roughly equally divided between insolvency and company law disputes arising from breaches of contract, breaches of fiduciary duty and the disqualification of directors. (Commercial Chancery - Chambers UK 2012)

Jonathan Lopian is admired by market sources as he is highly technically skilled. He recently acted for Lloyds TSB Bank in applying for an administration order for Powercorp International. (Insolvency - Chambers UK 2012)

Jonathan Lopian is ranked as a leading junior in the area of Insolvency in Legal 500 2011.

Jonathan Lopian has recently come off the Treasury Counsel B Panel and ramped up his commercial chancery caseload on both the litigation and advisory fronts. Trust, breaches of fiduciary duty and partnership disputes all fall within his remit, and his corporate finance background holds in him good stead for anything with a banking or financial services tinge to it. (Commercial Chancery - Chambers UK 2011)

Also praised for his attention to detail is Jonathan Lopian. He is defending the Ministry of Justice against an allegation brought by the trustee of the estate of Louise St John Poulton of breach of statutory duty and/or common law negligence. (Insolvency - Chambers UK 2011)

Jonathan Lopian is another at the set who is "extremely approachable and user-friendly". He expertly handles corporate and personal insolvency issues, as well as director disqualification matters. In 2009 he continued to act for HMRC on the high-profile Farepak Food & Gifts case concerning the administration and subsequent liquidation of the Christmas hampers company. (Insolvency - Chambers UK 2010)

A clear and compelling advocate who always arrives at court raring to go. (Insolvency - Chambers UK 2009)

"A well-regarded Treasury Counsel practitioner, Jonathan Lopian acted for the Secretary of State in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and represented HMRC in the Farepak Limited administration. Peers describe him as "a good, forceful litigator". (Commercial Chancery - Chambers UK 2009)

TERMS OF BUSINESS: COMBAR Terms
VAT NO: 681 2960 20
https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/regulatory-requirements/the-barristers'-register/?ProfileID=af2709fa48f16a67ba208cbd9a755b57