Practice overview

John’s practice comprises a wide range of heavy commercial disputes (including litigation relating to commercial fraud, contested trusts, tracing and insolvency claims across different jurisdictions) and property disputes of all kinds.

John has appeared in all the civil courts in England and Wales from the Upper Tribunal to the Supreme Court and in arbitrations both as counsel and arbitrator. His court room presence marries an easy rapport with the court or tribunal, robust and incisive cross-examination and a lightning fast response to new points as they arise in the case.

He was listed in The Lawyer Hot 100 2023.

Commercial disputes

John’s practice involves a wide range of heavy commercial disputes including litigation relating to commercial fraud, contested trusts, tracing and insolvency claims across different jurisdictions.

Notable recent cases include:

  • Acting for a major bank in claims involving fraud and forgery in a challenge to its security by its customer (2024, continuing).
  • Acting for a client seeking to rescind a high value contract on the grounds of fraudulent misrepresentation (2024, continuing).
  • Acting for a major retailer in connection with a £2.5 billion sale agreement involving the termination of arrangements with a supplier which is alleged to have been in breach of the retailer’s duties of good faith (2024, continuing).
  • Acting for a major company claiming damages for deceit from an introducer and defending a counterclaim by the introducer for breach of confidentiality (2024, continuing).
  • Acting for administrators of a business claiming that transactions undertaking by the company involving the dispositions of parts of that business were at undervalue (2023).
  • Acting for an ultra high-net-worth individual in proceedings in England, BVI and Cayman involving issues of commercial fraud, trusts and tracing (2023-24, continuing).
  • Acting for a manager defending allegations of mismanagement and breach of duties of good faith (2023, continuing).
  • Acting for a former partner in the business of sourcing and funding pension fund assets in a claim against the other partner for profit share and defending a counterclaim for breach of fiduciary and other duties of £110m (2022).
  • Defending a gas authority in an arbitration in a £120m compensation claim (2020).
  • Acting for a major utility provider in an arbitration in successfully resisting an arbitration claim by a supplier for a tenfold increase in price involving complex issues of regulation, economics and competition law (2020).

Download Commercial disputes CV

  • Quote symbolJohn is (...) a go-to silk. He is a master tactician and is extremely clever.

    Chambers & Partners 2025

  • Quote symbolJohn is a master of his craft who is well regarded and gets to grips with issues very quickly. He is a real star.

    Chambers & Partners 2025

  • Quote symbolA master in his field. Unflappable and stalwart.

    Chambers & Partners 2024

  • Quote symbolHe is brilliant, commercial, incredibly hard-working and is able to see the light side of litigation, which can be a great calming influence on clients.

    Chambers & Partners 2024

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Fraud, Trusts & Asset Recovery Conference 2023

    Wednesday 8th November 2023 | 12.45pm - 5.30pm, followed by drinks
    Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch, London

    £120 + VAT | 3.5 CPD

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce Cayman Conference 2023

    Thursday 14th September 2023 | 3.45pm - 6.55pm followed by a dinner buffet
    Kimpton Seafire Resort

    Free to attend | 2.25 CPD

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    Events / Webinars

    Wilberforce BVI Conference 2023

    Tuesday 12th September 2023 | 3.30pm - 6.25pm followed by a dinner buffet
    Scrub Island Resort

    Free to attend | 1.5 CPD

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    News

    John McGhee KC listed in The Lawyer Hot 100

    We are delighted to announce that John McGhee KC has been listed in The Lawyer Hot 100 2023! The Lawyer’s write-up on John reads as follows: “Wilberforce Chambers’ John McGhee KC was so busy last year he didn’t have much... Read more

    Monday 23 January 2023

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John's expertise

Download Property CV

Property

John’s practice covers the whole spectrum of real estate from advising and representing developers and investors in contractual disputes over major commercial developments to the esoteric areas of minerals, rights to light and the electronic communications code.

Notable cases include:

  • Acting for Cornerstone in an appeal to the Supreme Court concerning fundamental issues as to the scope of the Telecommunications Code (2022).
  • Advising developers and neighbouring owners in numerous rights of light claims (2005 to date).
  • Acting for a port owner in complex claims against a development corporation relating to access rights to land (2022).
  • Hicks v 89 Holland Park (Management) Ltd [2021] EWHC 930 (Ch) – acting for a management company in successfully resisting a claim by the adjoining owner that it was not entitled to refuse consent to plans for a proposed development on aesthetic grounds.
  • EMI Group Ltd v Prudential Assurance Co Ltd [2020] EWHC 2061 (Ch) – acting for a landlord in a successful claim against the guarantor under an authorised guarantee agreement involving novel issues under the Landlord and Tenant (Covenants) Act 1995.
  • Lodha Developers 1 GSQ Ltd v 1 GSQ1 Ltd [2020] EWHC 2356 (Ch) – acting for the purchaser of high-value residential property in a claim for relief from forfeiture and return of a deposit.

Download Property CV

  • Quote symbolJohn is a top property barrister and a go-to silk. He is a master tactician and is extremely clever.

    Chambers & Partners 2025

  • Quote symbolThe guru for rights of light matters.

    Legal 500 2025

  • Quote symbolJohn is a master of his craft who is well regarded and gets to grips with issues very quickly. He is a real star and a standout member of the property Bar.

    Chambers & Partners 2025

  • Quote symbolJohn is an extremely good, highly regarded and sought-out figure in the property Bar.

    Chambers & Partners 2025

  • Quote symbolA master in his field. Unflappable and stalwart.

    Chambers & Partners 2024

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    News

    Wilberforce shortlisted for The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2023

    We are delighted to announce that Wilberforce has 11 nominations across 9 different categories at The Legal 500 Bar Awards 2023. Set of the Year Chancery Set of the Year Chancery Junior of the Year: Edward Sawyer, Sebastian Allen Chancery... Read more

    Wednesday 12 July 2023

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    News

    John McGhee KC listed in The Lawyer Hot 100

    We are delighted to announce that John McGhee KC has been listed in The Lawyer Hot 100 2023! The Lawyer’s write-up on John reads as follows: “Wilberforce Chambers’ John McGhee KC was so busy last year he didn’t have much... Read more

    Monday 23 January 2023

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    News

    Wilberforce features in two of Estates Gazette’s Top 10 Cases of 2022

    EG (Estates Gazette) has released its annual podcast, discussing the most significant property law cases of the past year, and we are pleased to announce that Wilberforce members appear in case number 1 and case number 3 on the 2022... Read more

    Friday 6 January 2023

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    Webchats

    Proprietary estoppel after Guest v Guest [2022] UKSC 27

    John McGhee KC and Daniel Petrides discuss the Supreme Court’s recent re-casting of the law of proprietary estoppel in Guest v Guest [2022] UKSC 27. 

    John McGhee KC | Daniel Petrides
    Monday 14 November 2022

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John's Details

BSB/VAT information

Registered name: Mr John Alexander McGhee KC
VAT number: 417762048

Privacy Notice pdf

Qualifications and Appointments

  • BA (Oxon) First Class Honours
  • Scholar at University College Oxford
  • Lincoln’s Inn Entrance Award
  • Wolfson and Denning Scholar at Lincolns Inn

Memberships

  • Chancery Bar Association
  • Commercial Bar Association
  • Property Bar Association

Publications

  • Snell’s Equity
    • General Editor (1999 – 2015)
    • Joint General Editor (2020 – 2023)
    • Consulting Editor (2024 – Present)
  • The Nature of the Enrichment Inquiry in Degeling & Edelman eds., Unjust Enrichment in Commercial Law
  • A review of Boundaries of Personal Property: Shares and Sub-Shares by Pretto-Sakmann in (2006) Vol 122 Law Quarterly Review 533
  • When are Negotiating Damages available? in McFarlane & Elliott eds, Equity Today (2023)
  • Contributor to Nolan & Smith (eds): Company Voluntary Arrangements: Law and Practice (2022)

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