James Healy-Pratt, Esq., qualified as an English and Irish solicitor and New York attorney, is widely considered Europe’s “go-to” aviation lawyer for a range of commercial and tortious disputes. Mr. Healy-Pratt has been a longstanding and active proponent of mediation and arbitration, both from within the insurance industry and in private practice. Having acted as counsel in over 1,000 mediations, he brings first-hand experience of the process from matters on five continents. Uniquely, he has represented both insurers and plaintiffs in complex international litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Mr. Healy-Pratt has an extensive background managing high-profile aviation, insurance, class-action, mass tort and personal injury disputes, and has been involved in most large aviation disputes worldwide over the past 30 years. This includes disputes relating to international sanctions (US, EU and UN), as well as insurance coverage disputes between all risk and war risk insurers and reinsurers.

As former group general counsel of a leading international insurer based in London, Mr. Healy-Pratt led a team of global lawyers primarily in the areas of international marine, aviation and transport, and non-marine insurance and reinsurance, as well as general commercial and regulatory legal affairs. This included extensive European Union (EU) antitrust and sanctions (US, EU and UN) matters relating to the international insurance market.

Mr. Healy-Pratt is currently appointed as a Deputy High Court Judge, in the King's Bench Division, at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. He also is Her Majesty’s Deputy Coroner for East Sussex. In this role, Mr. Healy-Pratt handles a wide range of commercial matters, including a recent international dispute involving cryptocurrency and NFT hacking.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• 30 years of unique complex case management experience from both a corporate insurance defense perspective and the plaintiff perspective, including high-value commercial insurance coverage disputes and international sanctions and regulatory infringements
• Received Chambers and Partners highest ranking in the Aviation: Claimant category: Senior Statesman
• A unique view from both sides of the mediation table and arbitration bench over the past three decades; understanding and managing reputational and financial risk for insurers, as well as emotional and financial closure for families and individuals
• Holds unrivalled track record of winning the highest aviation settlements in many countries
• A proven mediation philosophy of discreet, efficient and pragmatic engagement leading to successful disposal of international disputes.
• Accredited mediator and arbitrator, Royal Aeronautical Society

Representative Matters

• Aviation
• Mr. Healy-Pratt is a licensed helicopter pilot and has directly handled (as attorney or insurance representative) over 1,000 mediations related to aviation disputes in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), EU, Asia-Pacific region, Africa and Australia. He is particularly experienced in high-value wrongful death claims relating to high-net-worth individuals, as well as catastrophic personal injury claims involving burns.
• Examples of high-profile aviation mediations and negotiated settlements include the following:
  • Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters fatal crash, 2019
  • The “missing” Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, Indian Ocean, 2014
  • The “shot-down” Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, Ukraine 2014
  • Lord Ballyedmond helicopter crash; Norfolk, U.K.; 2014
  • Air Asia and Garuda Flight 200 disasters in Indonesia, 2007
  • Air France 447 Airbus disaster over the North Atlantic, 2009
  • Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines disasters in Ivory Coast and Lebanon, 2000 and 2010
    
    
• Class Action and Mass Tort and Insurance

Mr. Healy-Pratt was significantly involved in the resolution of the class action, mass tort and complex insurance and reinsurance disputes arising from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Many of the aviation disasters involved hundreds of fatalities. He has also been involved in the successful resolution of insurance coverage disputes between all risk and war risk insurers relating to multiple classes of business.



• Personal Injury

Mr. Healy-Pratt has three successful decades of experience of the resolution of high-net-worth wrongful death cases relating to aviation, with unrivalled experience with international personal injury cases involving burn injuries. This experience comes from representing aviation insurers, as well as plaintiffs, in jurisdictions across the globe. As HM coroner, he is often involved in high-profile, complex medical matters related to hospital treatment, mental health facilities and prisons.



• Telecommunications

Mr. Healy-Pratt has significant experience in space law, involving satellite launch, orbit and recovery matters, as well as the mediated resolution of product liability and commercial warranty issues related to satellites in orbit.

Honors, Memberships, and Professional Activities

Honors, Memberships and Professional Activities

• Appointed Deputy High Court Judge, Queen's Bench Division, London, U.K.
• Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS
• Course Director, Judicial College (of England & Wales), 2019–present
• Member, Royal Aeronautical Society, 1994–present
• Honorary Treasurer, Coroners’ Society of England and Wales, 2017–present
• Leading Individual, Aviation, Who’s Who Legal Ranking, 2018–present

Speaking Engagements

• Lecturer, Aviation Law, Cranfield University, 2010–2019
• Guest Speaker (as an international legal aviation expert), BBC, ITV, Sky, NBC and CNN
• Keynote Speaker, Lloyds of London and international conferences in the U.K., EU, North America, Asia, Australia and UAE on aviation and insurance topics, 1999–present

Articles and Publications

Background and Education

• Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner; East Sussex, England; 2016–present
• Her Majesty’s Assistant Coroner; West Sussex, England; 2019–present
• Cranfield University, 2012–present
  • Visiting Lecturer, International Aviation
• Stewarts Law LLP
  • Partner, 2006–2019
  • Head of Aviation and International Injury
  • Member, Executive Committee
  • Trustee, The Stewarts Foundation
• Admitted as Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland, 2018
• Admitted as Solicitor, England and Wales, 2006
• MS Amlin PLC
  • Group General Counsel, 2000–2006
• Admitted to U.S. federal courts, 1997
• Admitted to New York Bar, 1997
• University College London, 1994
  • PGCert., Air & Space Law
  • LL.M., International Law
• Global Aerospace Limited
  • Senior Legal Adviser, 1992–2000
• Chambers of Guy Storey QC
  • Pupil Barrister, 1992
• Barrister to Gray’s Inn (Entrance Scholar), 1991
• Inns of Court School of Law, 1991
• University of Durham
  • B.A. (Hons), Law, 1990
• Licensed turbine helicopter pilot, Eurocopter EC120 type rating