Jonathan Bruce
Partner
About Jonathan
Jonathan is deputy head of the global Insurance and Reinsurance Group. Jonathan specialises in energy, property and marine insurance and reinsurance, and shipping. He acts mainly for insurers, reinsurers, policyholders, shipowners, brokers, surveyors, and any others involved in the insurance business. His practice is global, involving Latin America, USA, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French.
As to energy and property insurance and reinsurance, he acts in coverage disputes and subrogation claims involving property and business interruption, pipeline damage / pollution, general liability / casualty, CAR, DSU and Control of Well, in both onshore and offshore energy, including construction / Welcar. His experience extends also to the powergen, wind farm, renewables, mining, smelting, general industrial and SME/hospitality sectors, as well as trade credit / political risk / D&O / financial lines. He also acts in professional liability matters relating to all these areas. On the marine side, Jonathan acts in insurance and reinsurance coverage and recovery / defence claims arising from losses worldwide, including hull and machinery damage, groundings / collision, salvage / towage, GA, pollution, defective bunkers, cargo damage / contamination, builder’s risk, LOH, War Risks, TDI, and Ports & Terminals. He also acts in charterparty and bills of lading disputes. Jonathan is highly experienced in mediations, arbitration, and court proceedings (both in the UK and in numerous other jurisdictions), and also advises on wordings and policy architecture.
Jonathan is ranked for insurance in Chambers UK, Chambers Global and Chambers Latam, and is also recommended in Legal 500 UK, including these quotes from clients and the leading guides: ‘Jonathan is a pleasure to deal with; he sees the bigger picture and takes a pragmatic approach to resolving complex issues’ (Chambers UK, 2025); ‘Jonathan is very client and results focused; he is responsive to requests and is totally committed to transparency and adding value’ (Chambers UK, 2025); ‘Standout partner for me is Jonathan Bruce, a very smart lawyer with a thoughtful and decisive approach, able to immediately grasp essential aspects of a case and give helpful, prompt and practical advice. Very able negotiator: steel hand in a velvet glove’ (Legal 500, 2025); ‘Jonathan Bruce is a leading name for energy and marine insurance matters’ (Legal 500, 2024); ‘He is a top-draw advocate and litigator’ (Chambers UK, 2024); ‘He is approachable, commercial and quickly gets to grips with the issues’ (Chambers UK, 2023); ‘Jonathan brings the intelligence, the knowledge, the experience and the inter-personal skills required to understand the issues and cut to the chase. He is attentive and generous with his time’ (Legal 500, 2023); ‘He has a sharp intellect and very considerable experience as a case-handler and negotiator. He is also approachable and pragmatic’ (Chambers UK, 2022); ‘Excellent’ (Legal 500, 2022); ‘He’s great to work with, very communicative and collaborative. It feels like we are working as a team, rather than the lawyer running the case.’ (Legal 500, 2022); ‘Stand out partner is Jonathan Bruce, very quick to assess and analyse complex claim situations and provide clear and authoritative advice.’(Legal 500, 2022); ‘Jonathan Bruce is a calm and effective lawyer, a constructive problem solver with a blend of intellect and personality’ (Legal 500, 2020); ‘Hard-working. Very responsive. Good at setting strategy for success. Great experience’ (Legal 500, 2020); ‘Outstanding’ (Chambers Global, 2019); ‘Stellar track record’ (Chambers Global, 2019); ‘An excellent strategist; a very easy lawyer to work with’ (Chambers Global, 2018); ‘The esteemed Jonathan Bruce is a popular choice for clients’ (Chambers Latam, 2016); and ‘He is a leader in the field’ (Chambers Latam, 2016).
Jonathan’s experience in disputed insurance claims is vast and wide ranging, including many of the largest and most contentious losses globally over the past 20 years involving the London and international insurance markets, for example:-
- explosions on offshore platforms off Mexico and Brazil.
- damage to offshore platforms, subsea structures risers/umbilicals and pipelines in the North Sea, Mediterranean, Middle East, Asia and Australasia.
- war risks claims arising from vessel confiscations, and from cargoes and vessels stuck in Ukraine.
- PD/BI claims arising from damage to grout during the construction of both wind and nuclear power facilities.
- tunnel flooding during construction of the metro system in Qatar.
- BI claims at the world’s biggest oil refinery in India.
- BI/PD claims following machinery breakdowns and explosions at power stations in the UK, France and Algeria.
- suspicious sinkings, detentions, and disputed CTLs of numerous vessels / yachts worldwide.
- Terrorism claims following attack on LNG plant by ISIS insurgents in Mozambique.
- punch through leading to total loss of drilling rig off Angola.
- bank robberies and armoured car losses in Brazil and Bolivia.
- collapses of dams in Colombia and Guatemala.
- the FCA Covid BI litigation in the UK.
- pot freezes at smelters in Netherlands and Nigeria.
- tunnel collapse at world’s largest copper mine in Chile.
- damage to conveyor loading system at port in Brazil.
- cyclone damage to warehouses in Mozambique.
- landslide damage to pipeline in Peru.
- Chile riots.
- delays to pipeline construction project due to land protests and volcanic eruption in Ecuador.
- damage to foundations and electrical fires on windfarms in Eastern Europe.
- collapses of cranes in Central America and Eastern Europe.
- oil pollution claims in Latin America.
- political risk claim following blockade at a gold mine in Armenia.
- personal injury to firemen and cruise cancellations following 9/11.
- hurricane damage in the USA and Caribbean.
- trade credit losses relating to oil cargoes from Congo.
- oil cargo contamination claims.
- misappropriation of grain.
In terms of education, having won a scholarship to Eton, Jonathan went on to read Classics at Oxford University, where he was awarded a scholarship; he also then qualified with top marks in the Membership of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers examinations, before studying at the College of Law, Chester. He has lectured and published articles on many insurance topics over the years, and he is mentioned in the acknowledgements in Sharp’s ‘Upstream and Offshore Energy Insurance’ (2021 edition).
Jonathan is qualified in England and Wales.