Mr John Schmitt > Deka Chambers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Mr John Schmitt

jschmitt@dekachambers.com

Position

John is a specialist in complex personal injury work. He appears and advises in actions for personal injury and fatal accidents arising from the negligence of professionals, employers and public authorities. He is regularly involved in the settlement of cases with a six figure value and appears increasingly in the High Court. He combines a detailed grasp of the law with confident advocacy and clear, practical advice. John has been for many years a contributing author to the latest editions of the Road Traffic Accident section of Butterworths Personal Injury Law Service; he is a specialist on liability in this area. John has substantial wider experience, regularly acting and advising in a range of commercial and civil disputes, while also representing local authorities and private clients in family matters involving children and matrimonial finance. He is also experienced in representing families at inquests in a clinical negligence context and has done so through the AvMA pro-bono inquest service. Most recently he has represented a family at a four day jury inquest at the conclusion of which the deceased’s employer were ordered to produce a Prevention of Future Deaths report. John has extensive skill and experience in advocacy (much of this from his early years of practice conducting criminal trials) and as a result has a robust and effective courtroom style. He is a tough but fair negotiator.

Career

Called 2013.

Education

Education: BA Joint Hons. Classics & English, First Class (Oriel College, University of Oxford);

Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction (City University, London);

Bar Professional Training Course, Very Competent (BPP, London);

Lincoln’s Inn Lord Bowen, Denning & Levitt Scholarships;

City University GDL Mooting Competition Winner 2011-2.

Personal

Prior to becoming a barrister, John was a qualified teacher and acted as Head of Department and Head of Sixth Form at a leading secondary school. His first career and his extensive court experience to date have together equipped him with the valuable skills of persuasive argumentation and team management, along with the ability to interact with clients sensitively and to perform under pressure.

Leisure

In his free time, John enjoys cooking, tennis, skiing and being a dad.