Year of call: 2019
John Meehan is an experienced costs practitioner, with a busy costs and litigation funding practice.
Prior to coming to the Bar, John worked in an award-winning international law firm as a Solicitor-Advocate practising exclusively in Costs. As a former Solicitor with almost a decade of experience, John is tactically astute and prides himself on providing practical and commercially focused advice.
John handles a full range of costs matters. He has substantial experience of representing receiving and paying parties at detailed assessments including in high value, complex and multi-party assessments. He appears frequently before Judges of the Senior Court Costs Office and Regional Costs Judges. He prides himself on meticulous preparation and attention to detail.
John has also developed a busy and growing appellate practice. He has achieved considerable success at appellate level, including before the Court of Appeal, in cases involving significant points of principle.
In addition, John has developed specialist knowledge in a number of niche areas within costs litigation. He is regularly instructed in technically complex disputes including:
John regularly appears at Costs and Case Management Conferences (CCMCs), particularly in high value claims and where disputes have arisen as to costs budgeting.
John’s Court practice is augmented by his advisory and drafting work, including Points of Dispute, Replies to Points of Dispute and Statements of Case.
As a regular contributor to the legal press, John has written for LexisNexis and Litigation Funding magazine. In addition, he has provided a wide range of training seminars to legal organisations, including a number of the UK’s top 100 legal firms.
Acting for the successful Respondent before the Court of Appeal in Duffy v Birmingham City Council [2026] EWCA Civ 146 which concerned a challenge to the certification on the Bill of Costs and the requirements for commencing detailed assessment.
Acting as junior counsel for the appellant, led by Mr Ben Williams KC, in Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust v Hoskin (2023); a case concerning the requirement for a party to provide a breakdown of medical disbursements when serving a bill of Costs.
Instructed by the appellant before the High Court in O’Sullivan v Holmes & Hills LLP [2023] EWHC 508 (QB); successfully challenging the District Judge’s refusal to dismiss inadequately pleaded objections to a Solicitor’s bill of Costs.
Acting for the successful respondent beneficiary before the Court of Appeal in Brealey v Shepherd & Co Solicitors [2024] EWCA Civ 303, led by Andrew Williams, in a Solicitor/client costs assessment concerning the right of the Solicitor to charge for the work done as Executor in the absence of a charging clause in the will.
Representing the claimant in Brierley v Otuo [2023] EWHC 275 (SCCO) and successfully opposing an application that the solicitor’s bill of Costs was miscertified.
Instructed by the claimant in Wilkinson-Mulvanny v UK Insurance Limited [2023], which concerned the proper approach to the recovery of medical disbursements in fixed costs cases.
Legal 500 2026
‘John has a brilliant legal mind and is able to consider issues from both a technical and commercial standpoint, making his advice consistently well rounded. He is a calm, confident and thorough advocate, which inspires a great level of trust in his abilities.’
John completed the Bar Vocational Course, achieving an overall grade of Very Competent, and the Legal Practice Course, achieving a Distinction. Upon completion of the Legal Practice Course, John was awarded the BPP Highest Performing Professional award for achieving the highest overall mark in his cohort. John also has a BA in Law with Politics from The University of Manchester.
Litigation Funding (October 2023) – The Overriding Objective – CPR 1
Litigation Funding (February 2023) – Costs Challenges By Beneficiaries
LexisNexis (Expert Panel) – How to serve a CPR-compliant bill of costs
LexisNexis (Expert Panel) – Are medical agency charges recoverable in fixed costs claims?
