Jonathan was formerly Head of both the Personal Injury and Abuse teams at Bolt Burdon Kemp and has been a Partner with the firm since 2003.
In 2006 Jonathan was named one of the ‘Hot 100’ lawyers of the year by The Lawyer magazine, recognising his campaigning work for survivors of child abuse, work which continues today. He appeared alongside Sir Keir Starmer who was similarly honoured in the same issue! Jonathan went on to represent two claimants in the landmark House of Lords case A v Hoare & others (2008) changing the law to extend the time limits for anyone wishing to bring a child abuse claim. He now has an over-arching role developing and approving the strategy for all personal injury cases handled by the firm.
Chambers and Partners 2024 says “Jonathan Wheeler is pre-eminent for his abuse work” and “Jonathan continues to be a leading prominent, influential personal injury solicitor.”
Legal 500 says: “Jonathan Wheeler leads the firm very effectively with a firm grasp on business matters together with genuine care and concern for the clients and the individuals working for the firm”
In addition to his work at BBK, Jonathan is a Fellow and former President (2015-16) of the influential lobbying organisation, the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. He was awarded honorary life membership when he stepped down from the national executive in 2017. More recently, Jonathan became a member of The Law Society’s governing council in 2021 holding the seat allocated to LGBT+ solicitors. In addition he is a Stonewall Ambassador.
He trains other lawyers, both in-house and externally, and is regularly asked to provide comment on topical issues for the trade press and national media. In 2014/15 he accepted a consultancy role with the BBC, advising on story-lines for a well-known TV soap.
Media Contributions
- Levelling up: public funding for inquest representation – Solicitors Journal
- Maintaining your firm’s culture during Covid – Law Society Gazette
- The law leaders who transformed working life – Solicitors Journal
- Law firm leadership post- pandemic a huge opportunity – Legal Futures
- Vulnerable Witnesses — Setting the Ground Rules – Journal of Personal Injury Law
- Bereaved families deserve representation at inquests – Law Gazette
- Scanning the horizon (and other sea-faring clichés) – PI Brief
- Gauke sets new discount rate at -0.25% – Litigation Futures
- Discount Rate Change Delights & Dismays – New Law Journal
- Change to personal injury rate has pained insurers – The Times
- Something rotten in the court estate – Solicitors Journal
Publications
Jonathan has co-authored the third edition of APIL’s Guide to Child Abuse Compensation Claims, the definitive manual for lawyers representing survivors of abuse, published by Lexis Nexis in December 2020.
Professional Memberships
- Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) – Fellow and Past-President
- The Law Society of England & Wales – Member of Council, the Civil Justice Committee and the LGBT+ Committee
- Forum of Complex Injury Solicitors (FOCIS) – Committee member
- Human Rights Lawyers Association – member
