Barrister of the Middle Temple, Mediator, Arbitrator
Joint Head of Chambers at Normanton Chambers

Jonathan Dingle is a leading barrister, mediator and internationally experienced arbitrator complimented as “inspiring”, “remarkable” and “incisive” in his work over 32 years in many fields. At the Bar, he specialises in clinical negligence, personal injury, armed forces, and abuse, and complex cases with a national or international dimension. The co-founder of the Civil Mediation Council, and the Society of Mediators, he is the author of text book chapters on mediation in Powers & Harris on Clinical Negligence and in Friston on Costs. Jonathan is the co-author of the best-selling handbook Practical Mediation.

Winner of the mediation awards at the Personal Injury Awards in 2009 and 2016, he is regarded as something of an institution in Trans-Atlantic dispute resolution. His more than 1,000 ADR cases have included varied clinical negligence cases for NHS Resolution (approaching 100 such matters); construction, civil and commercial matters, high value sports contracts, equine disputes, football and cricket issues, and Olympic cases.

His feedback from parties is “legendary”. In a recent child death case, he was credited by all parties in the resolution of a very long running, difficult, and tragic matter. One party commented: “Jonathan Dingle is widely regarded as the epitome of a modern mediator who brings a relaxed style and a razor-sharp mind to every mediation, helping participants resolve disputes that seemed intractable.” Another: “Put simply, the case could not have settled without Jonathan’s insights, skills, tact, and diplomacy – he is outstanding.” His style is relaxed an informal but with a total command of detail and the facts as needed.

As a barrister, he practices from Normanton Chambers in London and its annexes around the country. He is available nationally, and internationally. He enjoys a strong portfolio of work usually with a head injury, psychological, psychiatric, child, armed forces or abuse bias. He has a deserved reputation in military law. Called as a Barrister of the Middle Temple in 1986 following a distinguished career at sea in the Royal Navy working as a Commander with NATO navies, and he served in operations at sea in the Gulf War before becoming a Judge Advocate. As such he has consistently dealt with complex and challenging cases – working alone and as part of a team. In the MOD, he briefed ministers and heads of state, and ran a substantial range of sensitive projects, both led by and leading senior civil servants. He was fully deep vetted to the highest levels and retains the extended security clearance in his present part-time judicial appointment.

He entered private bar practice in 1996. He has built a reputation as a leading adviser, negotiator, and practitioner in complex and difficult cases – both in the UK and overseas. He is often instructed in clinical negligence claims, as well as where fraud, partnership or regulatory issues have arisen. As a mediator, his work for more than a decade led to his appointment as Honorary Secretary of the United Kingdom’s Civil Mediation Council in 2003, a post which he held for eight years. He played a major role in influencing judges, practitioners, and stakeholders in previously intractable disputes. He is presently Chair of Trustees of the Society of Mediators, the mediation charity.

He has led more than 400 mediation and arbitration training courses in Europe and internationally which have been universally praised. In doing so, he has already created a generation of mediators worldwide under the facilitative model. He has helped established associations worldwide. He is currently undertaking pro bono work establishing reconciliation processes in schools in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa, where bullying, abuse and other issues are rife.