Jones Day has recruited Alex Chalk KC, formerly lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice, as a partner in its disputes practice in London. 

Chalk joins the US firm having become the first former lord chancellor to return to the criminal courts when he prosecuted Hassan Sentamu at the Old Bailey last December for the murder of London teenager Elianne Andam. 

He rejoined leading criminal and public law chambers 6KBW College Hill last July after losing the seat as member of parliament for Cheltenham he had held since 2015 in the summer general election. 

Alongside the lord chancellor role, Chalk’s time in government also saw him serve as minister of state for defence procurement, HM solicitor general for England and Wales, and minister of state for prisons and probation. 

Sion Richards, leader of Jones Day’s 200-lawyer global disputes practice, said Chalk’s experience as both a prosecutor and defence counsel at the criminal bar, coupled with his tenure in various senior government roles, made him “an exceptional advocate” for the firm’s clients. 

Ted Chung, leader of the firm’s investigations and white-collar defence practice, added that Chalk’s experience with major corporate investigations and prosecutions “will provide great value to clients in mitigating regulatory risk and handling high-stakes domestic and cross-border investigations”.

In joining Jones Day, Chalk joins a small group of former justice ministers and law officers to become law firm partners. They include former Labour lord chancellor Lord Falconer, a longstanding partner at Gibson Dunn, and former Labour attorney general Lord Goldsmith, a veteran partner at Debevoise & Plimpton.

Former Conservative attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox, who remains an MP, has been a consultant at Withers since 2020.

Before entering politics, Chalk’s career at the Bar saw him advise and defend corporate clients in proceedings arising from criminal investigations and government investigations, acting for the Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority, among others. He also prosecuted on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and local government bodies. 

Jones Day also pointed to Chalk’s experience privately prosecuting a matter involving the criminal misappropriation of online metadata and acting on behalf of company directors accused of offences under the Insolvency Act 1986.  

While in government, Chalk was involved in the promotion of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, which introduced the “failure to prevent fraud” offence and reformed the UK’s test for attributing criminal liability to corporates for economic crimes. 

As solicitor general, he oversaw the Law Officers’ Departments which includes the Crown Prosecution Service and Serious Fraud Office, as well as the Government Legal Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.

In March, Chalk hit the headlines when he attempted to come to the rescue of the litigation funding sector by introducing emergency legislation to ensure the enforceability of litigation funding agreements, after the Supreme Court’s 2023 PACCAR ruling rendered many of them unenforceable. 

However, the incoming Labour administration chose not to revive the legislation and instead await the result of the Civil Justice Council’s wider review of litigation funding, which is due to be published in the summer.

Jones Day also boosted its disputes practice last October when it hired partner Pablo Doñate, who handles large corporate and white-collar disputes, in Madrid from Andersen. 

In May the firm added to its disputes team in Amsterdam with the hire of partner Yuri Wehrmeijer, who joined from Eversheds Sutherland and specialises in corporate and commercial law disputes, professional liability matters and class actions.