Mark Blois and Tim Johnson recognised in The Lawyer’s ‘Hot 100’ list for 2022

Browne Jacobson partners Mark Blois and Tim Johnson have been named amongst some of the country’s most innovative and creative lawyers after featuring in The Lawyer’s ‘Hot 100’ listing for 2022.

The annual listing identifies a diverse mix of legal professionals from private practice, in-house and the Bar who have met The Lawyer’s criteria for excellence and relevance and played a critical role in shaping the legal profession over the past twelve months.

National Head of Education Mark Blois is one of the country’s most respected education lawyers. Over the last twelve months he and his team have advised thousands of schools on the Department for Education’s (DfE) policies around school system reform and the many challenges schools and academies have experienced in the management of the pandemic, as well as winning several landmark cases. The Lawyer noted that Mark was the only lawyer nationally to be appointed by the DfE as a National Leader of Governance “charged to provide targeted support to education institutions with governance challenges” and also praised Mark for “stepping outside his comfort zone to become a more visible disability role model” having been named in the ‘Disability Power 100’ list 2021.

As Commercial Insurance Partner, Tim Johnson has built up a hugely successful insurance policy drafting and product development practice.  In this year’s listing Tim is recognised for his ground-breaking work with Nottingham University in developing a series of techniques and market-leading products, enabling insurers to “significantly reduce the reading age of policies”.  The Lawyer noted that Tim and his team have “so far reduced the reading age by 10 years, meaning wording that previously required a postgraduate level of education to understand can now be grasped by most Year 7 pupils. The team noted that comprehension improved by over 25 per cent”. Over the last year a wide range of industry clients including Hiscox, Lloyd’s Market Association, NFU Mutual and Beazley, amongst others, have benefitted from his ground-breaking techniques and products. 

Richard Medd, Managing Partner at Browne Jacobson, said : “It is a huge honour for the firm to have two of its leading lawyers featured in The Lawyer’s ‘Hot 100’ for the very first time.

“This is a fantastic achievement for Mark and Tim. Both have carved out truly outstanding practices and we are hugely proud of the work they and their teams have undertaken over the past year. 

“It speaks volumes about the quality and sector expertise of our people, the exceptional commitment to our clients and the role they have played in helping to transform the legal profession.”

This year’s Hot I00 can be viewed here.