John Mehrzad KC is a Barrister at Fountain Court Chambers specialising in sports law, employment and commercial disputes, across the fields of litigation, domestic and international arbitration as well as cross-border matters.

He was appointed as a silk after only 12 full years’ practice – the fastest barrister appointee of the 2019 competition. More recently, he was listed in The Lawyer’s “Hot 100 2023”, and he has been described in the legal directories as “exceptional and a true heavyweight in his field” with the recommendation that “if you want to win – you want him on your side before the opposition snaps him up”. He was nominated as ‘Sports Law Silk of the Year’ by The Legal 500 in 2022 and 2023.

John is regularly instructed in injunction applications, trials and appeals in employment and commercial disputes, often involving restrictive covenants, duties, confidential information, economic torts and conspiracy allegations.

He is also recognised for conducting  independent reviews and investigations. For example, he was the only lawyer on the cultural review of British Cycling and chaired the governance review of the British Equestrian Federation and the review into UK Athletics’ handling of allegations relating to Alberto Salazar.

John also frequently acts in sports regulatory disputes, including disciplinaries, equalities and discrimination, safeguarding, selection, classification and doping charges.

He is a Governing Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.